War Mage (Traduction)
by 3A07
Summary: Translation for Zialema! When he was dying at Marine Ford, Ace's soul is pulled by Harry Potter's world. Dumbledore makes a pact with Death, using an old ritual. Ace is sent to Hogwarts to be a bodyguard for Potter, undercover as an independent foreign student here to study how to be a 'War Mage' (Book three to seven)
1. Prelude

Chapter 1: Prelude

**AN:**

**This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.**

**I have the author's permission.**

**Harry Potter is J.K. Rowling's intellectual property. One Piece is Oda's. **

**Warning: Implied gay relationship. (Eventually)**

The incantation was ready.

The runes as well, everything was in place for the ritual.

Dumbledore made sure his phoenix was close by. Depending on who Death would send him, immediate healing might be required, so this whole invocation would done for nothing.

It had been a hard task to find the formula. An additional ten long years were needed to gather all the ingredients for the ritual.

In the middle of his office, on top of the runic circle for the ritual, Dumbledore proceeded to a long an elaborate series of gestures with his wand.

The air became fire within the circle, there was a tearing sound before the fire disappear, leaving in it's stead a boy of about twenty years. He was slumped on the ground, a strange hole in his chest, was obviously the cause death.

Fawkes reacted immediately, going to perch on the body to shed his healing tears. When the gash was nothing more than an fist-size scar close to the hear, the corpse took a deep breath and open it's eyes before screaming of pain, forcing all the directors (those from the paintings as well as Dumbledore) to clog their ears.

As soon as the screams stopped, strange black chains appeared around the boy's skin. Fusing with his skin like a tattoo would, circling around the tanned skin, without ever going over the current tattoo on one of his arms.

.

.

_Somewhere in Grand Line, a revolutionary stopped himself in the middle of a corridor, feeling something in himself react._

_By instinct, he knew what is was about._

_._

_._

_Elsewhere, a young pirate captain who was training hard to achieve Shin Sekai level woke up with a start. A name on his trembling and smiling lips: "Ace..."._

_._

_._

_For his part, in Shin Sekai, a newly captain, previously second, in mourning for his love and for the father of the whole crew, let himself fall on the bow's head of the ship. Lifting a sake bottle, as if to toast with the starry sky. Praying Davy Jones for what he felt deep down be the truth, and that the man he loved would truly be alive._

_._

_._

Remus turned his head from the train's window when the compartment's door opened. A thirteen years old boy was in the doorway.

"Gomenasai, there is no one yet, but since you are most likely the only adult that will be on this train, I assume no one would bother you. May I settle here with you, ne?"

"No social much?" smiled Remus

The boy only shrug his shoulder, draped in black cloth from a long and rather rigid coat. It was open enough to show a shirt of the same colour, itself also with the top two buttons open.

This boy was entirely dressed in black. Ample pants with plenty pockets, shiny combat boots, and to top it all, a raven black cowboy hat. If Remus' knowledge from non-magic fashion was right. The hat was casting a shadow over the boy's face.

"Please sit down" smiled the man.

The boy nodded his head and entered the compartment, closing the door behind him.

"Professor Lupin." the man introduced "What is your name, dear boy?"

"I am a student in a special curriculum, Okami-sensei. I will also be teaching to a few volunteers a technique unknown from most. My name is Ace, Portgas D. Ace."

* * *

This is it for today, there will be a chapter every two weeks, with possible *bonus* chapters.


	2. The Boy On The Train

Chapter 2: The Boy on the Train

**AN:**

**This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.**

**I have the author's permission.**

* * *

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger reached the last compartment. There seemed to be two people in it. One was an adult and the second, a boy, based on his build, who was reading a book.

"This is the last one..." mumbled Ron.

"Well... Let's ask them if we can settle here" suggested Harry.

Hermione opened the door and the youth immediately lift his head. Only the bottom of his face was visible under his hat. He brought a finger to his lips and signed 'sleep' while pointing at the adult. He closed his book and came to the trio, closing the door behind him.

"We are sorry to disturb you, but no other compartments are available. May we sit here ?" asked politely Hermione. "We will try to be quiet as to not disturb him."

"Since there is no other choice... Give me your trunks, I will help to put them away."

.

.

He easily lifted the three cases and opened the door, putting the luggage on the provided rack as silently as possible. The trio settled on the bench, letting Harry be beside the stranger who sat back down.

"Which house are you in?" questionned Hermione. "I have never seen you before, which year are you in?"

"I will be following the third-year curriculum. I am in a peculiar situation and therefore starting Hogwarts this year, with a special time table. I will know in which house I will join once we arrive since I was not sorted yet."

"I have never heard of such a thing" Ron squeezed in, taken short. "You can choose your own classes?"

"I already met with the concerned teachers"

"It is rare, but possible. Some people follow a specific formation in Hogwarts because they are absolute of what they are going for, and that they will not change. After that they are sent to a more advance curriculum at one of the post-grad magic school, which are quite rare. They are similar to Muggle universities, but fewer and less known" added Hermione. "Oh sometime I can be dumb, we did not event introduced ourselves. I am Hermione Granger, this is Ron Weasly and Harry Potter."

"_Hajimemashite_" welcomed the stranger.

He inclined his had toward his back to see them better, and was received by surprised silence.

"_Nani_? Oh, sorry, old habits die hard. Happy to meet you. My name is Portgas D. Ace... well Ace D. Portgas. In our country, we say it the other way around."

" Could you say your name slower, please? It seems easy but..." smiled nervously Harry.

"Try like this... _Pōto-gasu Dī Ē-su. Ēsu _is my first name."

Harry repeated the name to himself a few times, to remember it better. Ron was only thinking one thing:

"You don't know Harry Potter?!" he exclaimed.

"Shush! Lupin-sensei is sleeping" hissed Ace, looking quickly at the beside him, seemed to still be sleeping. "And no, I do not know Harry Potter. Should I?"

"Because he survived You-Know-Who?"

"Two things... Weasley-san, is it?"

"_San_?"

"A politeness article in japan. Your family name is Weasley, am I wrong?"

"Your good..."

"First, from where I am it is _highly_ impolite to call someone, we just met by their first name, except if it's a kid, or we are trying to be insulting. Second, who should I know?"

"Well, YOU-KNOW-WHO!"

"I fear I do not know who you are inferring to, who is it?"

"Voldemort" answered Harry with a small sign. He could see where this conversation was going.

Ace raised an eyebrow, surprised by the reaction a simple name had on the other two.

"A ridiculous name yet so much reaction... mataku, I'll have seen everything... And this Voldy, what did he do to make you so popular, Potter-san?"

"He killed my parents when I was a baby, before trying to kill me as well. He failed, leaving me with a scar" mumbled Harry, raising a hand to his head. "Everyone thinks I'm a Hero just for that... calling me The-Boy-Who-Lived, The Chosen One, that kind of crap..."

" And the 'Survivor's Guilt' anyone? That's a stupid thing to do, it's the best way to remember of the loss of your family and that you are still here, struggling to move forward just for them. Tch"

Harry smiled back. He liked ace.

"And you know a lot about that?" asked Hermione.

"My life is full of people wanting me dead. I won't say why, that's personal. I survive against all odds. Worse than weeds."

"Hmm... so, which kind of formation are you working toward?" questioned Hermione, changing the subject on the spot.

"You will find out tonight."

Everyone turned toward the window to see the rain starting to fall. Ace sighted nostalgically, desiring more than anything else to be with his crew and his love. To see the stupid smile of his little brother… and to kick the shit out of Sabo. Dying and coming back to life had one good side. He realized that idiot of a blond was still alive… If he was thankful to him that he didn't show himself on Marine Ford, he would have like for him to appear, at least to say he was alive, at any point in his pirate career… Well he would tear his ears off once he was back.

He inclined his hat over his eyes and pulled headphones from his collars. They were linked to a Tone Dial that he activated. The music started playing happily in his eyes while he was reading again about Egyptian combat magic.

Harry send a warning gaze to his two friends, when they tried to speak with Ace again. He understood what he was doing. He had wanted to be calm from the start. It was them that were forced to share the compartment. Therefore, he was trying to let him enjoy the tranquility Ace wanted.

"_My life is full of people wanting me dead._"

That was crazy. A boy his own age, and yet, when hearing him one would think he was older, by a lot, and that everyone wanted him dead.

He lightly tapped Ace's arm when the candy cart passed by.

That's when he realized he was listening to music, since Ace was removing one of the button headphones to look at him.

"The cart is here, if you want something..." told Harry.

"_Iie_, but thank you for letting me know."

"Should we wake him up" asked Hermione, looking toward the sleeping professor.

"No, he told me not to wake him up for the cart. He seems dead tired."

And the candy women left. Hermione starred at Ace's headphones.

"That music player won't work once we reach Hogwarts."

Ace raised an eyebrow and took the dial out of his pocket, under the staring eyes of the three teens around him.

"This is an invention from a rather remote island I once went to. It is called a Tone Dial, a simple shell that emits sound. Crazy plain."

"Crazy indeed! How does it work? Does it even work despite a magical environment?"

"I have no idea how it works, and yes, it works despite the magical environment. I'll prove it to you once we reach the castle, if we are in the same house. Which one are you in?"

"Gryffindor. We are the brave ones. Well we still wonder why Hermione is not in Ravenclaw instead" smiled Ron "Which one are you in Ace?"

Ace twitched with the use of his first name but tried not to snap at it.

"From my persona, I could be in any of the houses, but from what I saw it's likely I'll end up burning in the Slytherin's... flamed snake like chicken anyway..."

The trio chocked.

.

.

"I'm serious. Even youngster I was hunting my food alone. Let's say I grew up in the jungle and I'm some kind of barbarian" smiled Ace.

His smile was so big it made Hermione laugh.

"What is it?" asked Ron.

"It's... it's his smile... haha... one sec" Hermione took the time to breathe in. "He reminds me of an old Muggle story"

Saying that sparked the answer to Harry.

"Cheshire the cat!"

"Exactly. Chesire the cat in _Alice in Wonderland_!"

Ace raised his shoulders, he already new that.

"But otherwise, not even the smallest idea of where you'll end up?" asked Harry.

Ace tapped pensively his book on his chin. Before thinking out loud:

"I think we will be together for the year to come"

"Since you are a foreigner, maybe you know something about this curious optional class that will be tough..." started Hermione

"Haki?" asked Ace. "Yeah, I know what it is. I'm the one who will teach it."

"Seriously?!" chocked Ron.

"I am extremely serious. Well I will be teaching one form of Haki, not all three. I do not think I will have the time, or the patience to teach the Busoshoku, which wouldn't be really useful to you since the magic makes it long distance anyway. No need to a close combat Haki".

"What is this haki?" asked Hermione with her first for knowledge. "I looked in many books, but I could not find a single thing!" she added visibly disappointed.

"That's normal. Only highly trained people can master it and either you learn it on your own, or you find a master which accepts to teach it to you. You cannot learn Haki from books."

Hermione had a disappointed pout.

"What are the other forms we won't learn about?" questioned the black haired.

"Haoshoku. To use it, one must first correctly master the other two forms, but also need to possess the power. Everyone can learn Haki, but not Haoshoku. Only a few chosen ones have it. In my language, Haoshoku no Haki could be translated as Royal Fluid or the Conqueror's Fluid."

"Insane..." uttered Ron. "And what is it's use?"

"Nothing that could interest you. The others, will be talked about in my class."

And just like that he plugged his earphones again, and went back to reading his book. Ignoring the conversation around him. Apparently, a deranged Sirius Black wanted to kill Potter, and had managed to escape a prison to do so.

Ace thoughtfully rubbed his hand around one of the tattooed chains on his skin. Proof of the contract that would one day let him see the Grand Line again. He would protect Potter. That was the only condition to allow his freedom. And that, until the child would vanquish Voldemort or could not fear it anymore. And to make it harder, he needed to do it as discreetly as possible, reason why Dumbledore had given him a few enchanted bracelets letting him a perfect understanding of English but also to look like a thirteen years old boy. Or rather they were runes that took away a few years physically, or at least like he looked at that age... since he always looked older due to his soured look. No easy task...

In the two months since he was brought back from the dead, Ace had to get used to his own body, learn the basics in witchcraft (at least to be useful in Defence against the Dark Forces, though metamorphose was not unhelpful either) with – thank you Ollivander – a wand that would not combust if he ever get his akuma no mi back. He also had to think on how to organize and teach his future course. Thank Davy Jones he only had to teach the Kenbushoku, even if he had to briefly talk of the other two.

"... especially when we are beside two of our teachers..." said Hermione, making Ace lift his head from his book.

Ron was looking at him nervously. Harry had a... jaded look.

"If you are talking about breaking the rules, talk without fear. Lupin-sensei is sleeping, and, as far as I can remember, for me, the rules are made to be broken." reassured Ace with one of his huge smiles.

"A teacher that encourages us to do stupid things, never seen that before" commented a surprised Ron.

"Harry, may I remind you that out there, someone want's you dead" uttered Hermione.

"Sirius Black? That man is no assassin" mumbled Ace, going back to his book.

"How would you know" asked the frustrated girl.

"I've seen enough assassins. He does not share their eyes."

"He looks like a zombie on the wanted posters." squeaked Ron.

"So? He just got out. You don't know what he lived in there. Torture, shame, abuse... anyone in a high security prison would have the same look he has, once finally outside. He could have been attractive, back before all this. You should think to let that cat out. If locked too long, felines become crazy and unlivable. They are creature that seek freedom and have no master".

Hermione blushed, and before Ron could protest, Hermione's small tiger-would-be was out of the basket and happily on Ace's knees.

"Looks like he likes you" pointed Harry with a small smile.

For all answer, Ace petted the feline a little before giving it back to the young girl, and once again going back to his book.

.

.

The rest of the trip was peaceful. Even if Ace was not talking much and Lupin was still sleeping, having a teacher and a mysterious student that would be a part-time teacher in the comportment had its advantages. Especially around the middle of the afternoon. When a thick fog started to creep in and heavy rain thundered the train.

They had successfully pulled two or three information about Ace. His mother-tongue was Japanese, even though he never set foot in the country. He was born on a small island named Baterilla and lived most of his life on another island named Dawn before visiting multiple other islands which names, he refused to give. They were then disturbed by the three people Harry hated the most at Hogwarts: Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Look who's here" exclaimed Malfoy using a frustrating tone while opening the door. Ace royally ignore him, continuing his reading.

"Well, Weasley, I heard your dad found a little gold this summer. I hope your mom is not dead from the shock"

Ron got up in one jump, making Crookshanks' basket fall and Lupin grumble.

Clack!

That was Ace's book being brutally and noisily closed.

"Who are you? And who is he?" Mumbled Malfoy taking a step back seeing the adult... or maybe the dark look Ace was shooting at him.

"That man is a teacher. I for one, am not important. Known that if you ever show you arrogance in from of me again, I will show you clearly that it might jeopardize your life..." calmly said Ace.

"Oh yeah…?"

Ace inclined his hat and moved up to Malfoy, completely ignoring the 'menace' coming from the two followers.

"_Ore wa kaizoku_. I know things that would make you shit in your pants without even having to touch you... So grab your boys and get out."

Malfoy had backed off out of the compartment and swallowed unconsciously. A small head nod and the three guys went away.

"I'm going to get dressed" said Ace, taking his bag.

"I can get out if you want, and leave you between men" Hermione told him. Meanwhile Ron continued to pester against Malfoy.

"_Iie_. I don't want to have to answer some disturbing questions if anyone sees me shirtless. Please excuse me"

And he left the room, heading for the bathrooms, leaving his book behind.

Harry looked at it, and noticed a photo was used as a bookmark. Pushed by his curiosity, he opened it and looked, despite his friend's protestations.

Three children were on it. Two brown haired, and one blond. They looked happy. One of them must have been around seven, and the two others ten. Ace was easily to spot, despite having a smile in the picture, he already had an old and blazed look, the dark eyes of someone wounded.

"Who do you think they are?" asked Ron, looking oven Harry's shoulders.

"I don't know... childhood friends, most likely. They must be precious to him, since he kept this picture as a bookmark" added Hermione. "I do the same with a picture of the three of us."

Harry closed the book, and put it back.

Ace was coming back already, all dressed even though he did not put on the robe, and his sleeves were pushed back, leaving strange silver bracelets and tattoos to be seeing by all. Those were the strangest, starting in the middle of his hands to roll around his arms and disappear in his sleeved, like some kinds of chain. The train started to slow down. He stayed in the corridor a few seconds, while Harry was trying to look thorough the window, like many others.

The train suddenly shook brutally and stopped, spilling many luggage out of the racks. The lights turned off.

"What is happening?" asked Ron.

"Shut up" rushed Ace as he entered the room.

He threw his robe and bag on the seat. In the shallow darkness, Harry saw the light reflection of a blade suddenly in the hands of the young man.

"Something is wrong here..." murmured Ace.

His Haki perceived too many _voices_. He only thought to activate it now, thinking there was no point to it, but now... there were two _voices_ in the compartment. And Ron's agitation to look outside was disturbing his focus. One of those _voices_ was weak... like a fragment of something... something asleep.

The door opened and Ace grabbed the new arrival, putting his blade on its throat.

"What the..." panicked the boy.

"Hi Neville" welcomed Harry.

No an unknown threat. Acknowledged. Ace released him.

"Is it you, Harry... that you... assaulted me?" moaned the terrified boy.

"Sorry, I'm paranoid." Grumbled Ace.

He guided the boy up to an empty space, avoiding him form sitting unwillingly on Crookshanks.

"I'm going to see the machinist to ask what is happening" announced Hermione.

"Do NOT move from your seat" ordered Ace.

The door opened again, followed by a small cry of surprise when Ace grabbed the new arrival by the arm.

"Who is it?" asked Hermione.

"It's me, Ginny! I was looking for Ron!"

"That's my sister!" panicked the red-head boy.

"Tch... And shut up."

Ace released the young lady, to the safety of her brother.

"What a good initiative, young man" commented a hoarsed voice.

Professor Lupin seemed to finally have woken. He was moving around in the corner, and a small creak later, the teacher was using a flaming ball in his hand, lighting his grey and tired face but with quick and alert eyes. The light also allowed the students to see Ace, by the door, a dagger in hand. Ready for action.

The two of them exchanges a long look, a small nod toward the door meaning everything. Something was coming.

"Stay where you are" said Lupin.

He got up, keeping the flames in front of him, but the door opened before anyone could get to it.

Ace just knew. Whatever this was, it was _BAD_.

Standing in the doorway, lighted by the flickering flames, was a tall shadow, enveloped by a cape, its face was entirely hidden behind a hood. It was so big it almost touched the ceiling. A hand was visible, all grey, bony and covered in scabs which could remind of a corpse left in the water way too long.

This was making Harry feel sick.

Ace had barely moved his weapon up that the… creature, took a slow and deep breath. Like on would to suck something with a death rattle… and the temperature dropped further and further. Not the same way than when battling against Aokiji. No, his breath was stuck in him. He couldn't hear anything… except a sound that was reminding him of tumult of the combat of Marine Ford…

"Make them leave" begged Ace, falling on his knees.

He was tightening his grip against his blade, focusing on that one idea, and successfully to focus enough energy to use the King Haki.

When he finally used it, everything fell in the dark.

.

.

"Portgas! Wake up, come on!"

Ace brusquely opened his eyes from where he was lying down, the compartment's floor. He straightened up, legs and arm trembling, breathing hard...

His life seemed to come back in the room.

Lupin was beside him. Harry seemed as bad as the pirate.

"I don't know what you did before fainting, but I didn't have to use magic to make it go away, it ran away on its own" commented the wolf. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yes, I am fine" assured Ace while getting up.

He let himself fall back on the seat. His Haki reassuring him the was no imminent danger, he folded back the blade in its sheath, hooked under his left forearm. His right one had his wand. He had put both there as soon as the light dimmed.

"Who screamed?" asked the lightning scarred teen.

"... No one screamed." answered the red haired boy.

"Let me guess... those, _things_, make you relive the worse times of your life" grunted Ace while massaging his temples.

"Exact." The teacher was giving big dark chocolate square to the people around. Giving the biggest ones to Harry and Ace. "Eat those, it will make you feel better."

Ace did not hesitate before biting deeply on the dark sweet. He truly loved chocolate for a simple reason, since Sabo had made him try the first time: it was a natural antidepressant.

"What were those things?" asked the stunned Potter.

"A dementor. That was one of Azkaban's dementors." answered the teacher once he finished giving chocolate around

"Potter, eat it, you will be thankful." said Ace while finishing his own piece.

He already felt better, even though a simple sweet could not chase away his darker memories that so easily slept into his head.

"Blessed be Davy Hones, those don't exist in Impel Down" whispered slowly Ace to himself. Lupin was going to see the machinist, and he disappeared in the corridor.

"Are you sure you're ok Harry?" queried Hermione, seeing the anxious look in her friend. "And you, Portgas?"

"I've seen worse. It's more the memories than anything else..." grumbled Ace while still massaging his temples.

"I still don't understand... What happened?" questioned Harry while wiping sweat off his forehead.

"That... that thing... the Dementor... it was standing there and looking everywhere. Well, I think it was, since I could not see it's face... Ace tried to attack it... but collapsed... and both of you... you..."

"It looked like a Basilisk had come to the compartment, how you just stopped to move, Portgas." added Ron, visibly still frightened. "The only thing you did, is take your weapon by it's blade and tighten your grip hard enough to open your own palm..."

Ace looked at his hand, which had already healed and shrug his shoulders. He had done and endure worse.

"And you, Harry... it seemed you had an attack of I'm not sure what... You straightened out, and slipped on the ground. Then you started to have spasms..."

"It's at that time that professor Lupin walked over you, he walked toward the Dementor and took out his wand" continued Hermione. "And he said 'No one here is hiding Sirius Black under their cape. Go away.' But the dementor did not move, so Lupin started to mumbled something and that's when... when something strange happened. It's like the air became hot and heavy... Before the Dementor seem to be afraid, he lowered its head toward you, Portgas, then he went away so fast it seemed he was on skates."

"It's horrible" added Neville, a voice higher than his usual self. "Did you feel the cold when he came in?"

"I had this weird feeling..." said Ron visibly uncomfortable. "Like I had lost the will to laugh forever."

Still crouched down in a corner, Ginny let out a sob. Visibly as affected as Ace and Harry. Hermione put her hand on her shoulder to try to cheer her up.

"No one fell out of their seat?" asked Harry.

"I was standing, I fell on my knees" Ace told him.

"And Ginny started shaking like a leaf." pointed Hermione.

"From what I felt, I presume those affected the most are those that lived through something horrible" sighed Ace, while Lupin was coming back.

"That is an accurate conclusion. I think you will sadly need to get accustomed to people using your first name." The man told Ace.

"Poor Makino-nee-san, she worked so hard to teach me manners... I will tolerate it if I can call you Okami-sensei."

Lupin shrug his shoulder and took his seat back.

"As long as the meaning stays between us, I don't see why not. But I will need a nickname for fair trade."

Ace had a little smile. He like that man. And others where looking at him like he came from another planet.

"Hiken, Okami-sensei. You can call me such.".

Lupin smiled slightly before turning to the others.

"As you can all see, your comrade is not dead form the chocolate, you can therefore justde it's harmlessness."

Harry bit into it and was surprised by the warth that spread through him.

"Chocolate is always good while feeling down" commented Ace with a smile.

"We will reach Hogwarts in ten minutes. Will everything be ok for both of you? Harry? Hiken?"

Harry did not ask the men how he knew his name. He replied timidly that he was alright. Lupin was looking at the new student. Ace answered by a slight shoulder raised, and rubbing against the middle of his torso.

"Portgas you..." interrupted by Lupin clearing his throat, Hermione continued "Ace", this time it was Ace than grumbled under his breath but said nothing, "he will have problems, for carrying a blade with him, no?"

"I have a derogation, and it's not my only weapon." '_Far from it_' he added for himself.

"So how did you do it, Hiken, to make a Dementor run away without using a Patronus?" asked Lupin.

"A gift from my unworthy of father. Haoshoku no Haki." Such was the answer from the boy, while taking his book back and starting to read again.

They did not speak much until Hogsmeade.


	3. War Mage

Chapter 3: War Mage

AN:

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

* * *

Ace stopped in front of the diligence in which he was told to get in, with Lupin.

"What are those horses?" he whispered.

"Those are Thestrals, young men. Only those who saw death can see them" sighted Remus while opening the door to the carriage.

Ace's eyes darkened a little, and he followed the teacher.

"You are a mystery." Lupin told him.

"Everyone has their history" answered Ace. "Otherwise why would I have chosen this path?... Where do you know Potter from?"

"Other than his celebrity status? I was a close friend of his parents. I saw him when he was born, and many other times, until Lily and James' death. I have no rights to adopt him, because of my... _furry issue_, we will say."

Ace closed the door behind himself.

"What do your parents think of that?" asked Lupin. "Do they want you to become a War Mage?"

"Dead before I even knew them. My father, I'm better for it. My mother, I wished I could have met her..."

"I'm sorry."

Ace shrugged, and the rest of the way was spent in silence.

They finally arrived at the castle, making the boy's eyebrow raise a little.

They exited the carriage, just in time to see Malfoy start to pester Harry again.

"What is happening here?" asked Lupin.

Malfoy rolled his eyes sarcastically, ensuring that there was nothing.

Ace raised an eyebrow, again.

"Before taking on anyone, think about changing your pants... We can smell from here that the Dementors had a rather strong effect on you." sighted Ace, turning toward the castle.

From the laughs, his remark did the expected.

Arriving in a major Hall, he saw a woman with a grave allure around her. One of the rare persons, other than Dumbledore, who knew why he was here: to protect Potter.

"I am fine, don't worry about it" reassured Ace. "I've had worse."

Her brows raised slightly, and she showed him a small professor.

"He is aware of the bare minimum. You will be called last.

Ace nodded and went to meet the designated teacher. A head or two taller than all first year.

"Ah, you must be the student in the Special Curriculum, Portgas D. Ace?" welcomed professor Flitwick. "You will have to wait here until called."

"No worries, sen... professor. I am sorry, despite my translator bracelet, I keep going to my original language."

"It is not a problem, young man. You seem a little pale. Dementors?"

Ace nodded.

.

.

Harry and Hermione were coming back to the Great Hall after the sorting of first years, when Dumbledore got up. The two students quickly took their places beside Ron. From the looks, the whispering and the students, the fainting of Harry had already spread.

"Before my welcoming speech, I would like to announce that, for the first time in at least a century, we are welcoming a student for a Special Curriculum. He will be joining the third years in whichever house he is sorted into. He will be taking the only some of the classes, for his choice. To thank us for letting him join, he is offering in exchange to teach us an old technique from which he is one of the rare users. Please welcome, future War Mage, Portgas D. Ace!"

The doors opened to reveal Ace. He walked wide steps to the stool and sat. There was plenty of whispering on his way. Many was on his way to walk, both determined, calm and nonchalant, but still leaving the definite thought that his guard was up. Like a predator. But he was also the other person to faint because of the Dementor... And also...

"War Mage? This guy wants to be a War Mage?" Ron exclaimed both surprised and admired.

"This explains everything!" commented Hermione.

"How so?" asked Harry.

"War Mage are warlocks with great powers. They are ready to put their talents to serve a side, in a war or another. Close to a mercenary. They are powerful. They know how to fight with and without magic. You-Know-Who lost many followers to successfully kill the last one in England, before the ministry could enlist him to their side... Having one that studies with us... He must have tremendous knowledge both theoretical and fighting, both magic and muggle. Seen with this light, the way he acted in the train is understandable. He knew how to fight, even in a dangerous situation."

She stopped as Ace sat down on the stool.

The pirate had but the hat on his head, and close his eyes.

"_Oh, here is one quite interesting_..." he heard the voice in his head.

He was either crazy, or the hat was talking to him... Maa, well he was a D. After all.

"_And funny to top it all. You are far from usual! Let's see what you are about... a mind, despite what you might be thinking, you would easily be comfortable in Ravenclaw... A loyalty against everything toward freedom and your captain, which would be perfect for Hufflepuff. Knowledge and skills to play the looks and act, able to act in the shadows, which would be welcomed in Slytherin. And so brave... so brave it is close to being stupid, a rather Gryffindor trait. You are really unusual..."_

The hat thought for a few...

"GRIFFINDOR!"

"Finally..." sighted Ace, he had been afraid to suffer a narcolepsy attack on the stool.

"_Sorry to have kept you so long, young D... Welcome to Hogwarts, Nibanta__ï Taïsho Portgas D. Ace. __Your secrets will be safe with me_."

Ace removed the hat and bowed to it. The hat bowed back, and the young man went to sit beside Potter, who had just made him some space. He looked back at the teachers' table. Dumbledore and McGonagall seemed thankful, Lupin amused and Snape... disappointing.

«Wari sensei.» thought Ace, seeing the dark teacher.

He was part of the teachers he liked as well.

Dumbledore got up, while Flitwick put away the material for the Sorting.

"Welcome to you all" said Dumbledore, his beard glittering in the candlelight. "Welcome to a new year in Hogwarts! I have a few things to mention, on of them rather serious, therefore I'll get it on already..." - Harry could see the dejected face Ace had when he watched the empty dishes and plates - "before the euphoria of new things reach you. As you may have noticed since they searched the Hogwarts Express, the school had to host a few of Azkaban's Dementors, sent to us by the Ministry of Magic."

It was obvious the old man was displeased by this.

"They are posted at each entry of the property" continued the director, " and as long as they will be, every one must know it will be strictly forbidden to exit the school grounds without previous approval. Dementors are not confused by costumes, or any ruses, not even invisibility cloaks."

From the amused tone of the last remark, and the quick look between Potter and Weasley, it was obvious one of them had one. Interesting.

"The Dementor's nature does not let them take under consideration " - Hermione raised and eyebrow seeing Ace's head fall in his empty plate and trying to wake him - " the excuses or solicitations. I therefore advice each and every one of you to never give them the idea to doubt or hurt you. I am addressing this particularly to the prefects, and your you head Boy and Head Girl, so they watch out for any student that would take the initiative to contradict a Dementor."

Ace was back, and sleepily staring the other students. Only the Golden Trio had seen him collapse, the other were actually listening to Dumbledore's speech.

"Everything all right?" inquired a worried Hermione.

"Narcolepsy" Ace yawned back.

Hermione and Harry 'oh...' of comprehension, and the explanation flew over Ron's head.

"To continue on a happier note, I would like us all to welcome three new teachers, despite one of them being a bit peculiar. First of, professor Lupin, which will be teaching Defence against the Dark Forces.

The clapping where lukewarm, other than the ones who had share his compartment.

But looks are deceiving. Despite his voice suggesting he constantly fought against his inner wolf, Ace could feel his power.

Rogue seem far from happy by the position's choice, from the way he stared at Lupin. Disgust. The same kind Ace would have given to his father, had he met him. That make him frown, but he pushed it aside for now. He just got here and was not going to play mediator.

"For the second nominee" Dumbledore started again, "I will first have to inform you all that professor Kettleburn, who was teaching Care of Magical Creatures, had to retire to take care of his last few members. But I am happy to say that the course will now be teach by Rubeus Hagrid, who added the responsibility to his work as the Gate Keeper."

"We should have known" commented Ron while hitting his fist on the table, "Who else could have had us buy a book that bites back?"

"My Jiji, and some of my friends would have find the idea funny" smiled Ace. "As for my Otouto, he would have loved it!"

Everyone that heard looked at him like he was crazy, others wondered what he was talking about.

"What? It's true!" answered Ace.

"And to finish, we talked about Haki, the new discipline that you will be able to discover. If the master could make a small presentation of this unknown and underrated technique..."

Ace kept in him a deep sight and got up, to place himself in front of the teachers' table, where Dumbledore was showing him.

He looked at the students in from of him for a few seconds. Come one, it wasn't more disturbing than to talk in front of his division.

"Haki, which you could translate as Fluid in your language, is an old technique that you will _never_ hear about elsewhere. I challenge you to find a book about it. My goal is simple... to open your minds enough that you will be able to perceive the smallest threat. That is the first goal. Whether it pleases you or not, I will not force you to join this class. Do not think that because I am young, I do not know how to be respected or teach this. I am as student, like all of you, but during Haki lessons, anyone who defies my authority will understand what makes me able to say I am a good Haki user. Oh, and I hope you have the signed authorization to participate to this class, accepting the risk of injury that come with it..."

Ace had a carnivorous smile.

"I do not promise that you will exit my classes without bruises, do not take your dreams for reality..."

Harry could feel a chill go through him. This was... fear, but excitement as well. And a small hint of respect. His uncle had immediately signed that authorisation, in opposition to the one to Hogsmeade. Knowing that his nephew might be hurt in class seemed to give him hope he would die and they would be free of him.

Ace came back to the table under polite and perplex clapping from the students.

Neville looked at him with wide eyes, reminding him, for an instant, of Luffy when you show him someone that did something cool.

"Thank you, Mr. Portgas, for those few words. I think the essential was said. May the feast begin!" concluded Dumbledore.

The gold plates and cups aligned on the tables filled themselves with food and drinks. Harry, suddenly famished, served himself in abundance from everything within reach and started to eat greedily. He noticed that Ace was not the last one to eat, from the speed at which he devoured his own place.

The feast was delicious.

Ace had to answer numerous questions (everything that related to Haki, he would say: 'you will see in class'), avoided many other questions, but was a nice fellow. Percy could not avoid grumbling, while seeing Ace interact with the twins.

When it was time for everyone to go to bed, the Golden Trio went to congratulate Hagrid, they saw Ace go to Dumbledore.

"Please follow me up to my office young man. I will accompany you to your common room once we are done." the director told him.

"We will wait for you in the common room" said Harry.

"Arigato" thanked Ace, inclining his head.

.

.

Ace removed his robe and let himself fall on the armchair in front of the director's desk.

"How is your scar, Taïsho-san ?" asked the later.

"Not bad, I've seen, and had, worse" sighted Ace. "Let's talk business."

Dumbledore went to sit as well, and gave him his time table.

"You will need the same mandatory classes as those following Auror's formation. Therefore, you will not have Astronomy or History of Magic. I allowed myself to register you to Care for the Magical Creatures. Professor Sprout will ask your time a few times, to study some of the 'dangerous' plants, or those with useful properties. Haki courses will be given per year, with the four houses mixed. All in all, you will teach fourteen hours per week."

Ace examined the time sheet and nodded.

"Mrs Pince was warned that you are allowed unlimited access to anything you would like that will allow you to improve your knowledge in defence and attack, including what is in the Restricted Section."

"Thank you for that. Tell him about this Sirius Black now. I heard a few rumours."

Dumbledore sighted and inclined back.

"He is an innocent that was never allowed a trial. He is also Harry's godfather. We need to insure the Dementors never find him until we can find Peter Pettigrew, to prove his innocence. And everything we have about him, is a single finger. Most likely voluntarily cut to make his death believable.

And nodded and said:

"There are other things I would like to talk about. A little before the Dementor's 'welcomed' us, I used my Kenbunshoku... and noticed two anomalies in the compartment. Someone was hiding... where, who and why, I do not know. But I am positive about it. As for Potter... There where two _voices_. One of them seemed... fractured, not full.

Dumbledore's eyes became sad and worried.

"You just confirmed one of my suspicions. I will tell you more once I know more, Taïsho."

Ace nodded his head.

"That is all for tonight, I will escort you back."

"One last thing... I can continue to wear my weapons in the corridors?" asked Ace. "I can bring them to Hogwarts, but you never mentioned about keeping them on me. Without my usual power, I would prefer to keep my weapons, for prudence."

"Do so! And do not forget to wear the uniform, and to keep an eye on Harry, as much as possible..."

Ace made a grimace at the uniform's mention, and followed Dumbledore.

He stopped beside Fawkes. He had the right, once a year, to contact those close to him. He got three messages from his pocket and gave them to the phoenix.

"For Marco, Sabo and Luffy. Thank you again."

The majestic bird took the envelops in his beak and disappeared in fire.

.

.

Waking up, Harry and Ron were surprised to see Ace almost fully dressed

"What time did you wake up?" asked a tired Ron.

"4am. I went for a jog, so I could familiarize myself with the castle" mumbled Ace while putting on the robe.

He slipped his feet in his shoes and lift his eyes, seeing the others looking at him with round eyes.

"What?"

"You are... sick." commented Dean while he extirpates himself from bed.

A few minutes later, Ace followed Harry, Ron and Hermione to the Great Hall. He threw a piercing look to the Slytherins who were acting stupid and mocking Harry, and went to sit beside Fred, who slipped him a discrete message.

Ace took out his timetable and put it on the table, and read discreetly the redhead's message, while George gave Harry, Ron and Hermione their own timetables.

"Count on me." breathed Ace.

Fred outlined a smile as Ace folded the message back and took a big gulp of a strong coffee.

"This dumbass was less proud yesterday, when the Dementors came to search our compartment. Remember Fred?" commented George.

"He almost peed himself" answered Fred while staring at Malfoy with contempt.

"Really? From the smell, I thought he actually had a go in his pants" mumbled Ace while slurping his precious coffee.

The twins burst out laughing.

That gave a heartache to Ace. Reminding him of so many bullshits he used to say with Thatch, and the way Marco would shake his head in front of him, hesitant between exasperation and amusement.

"Ace, you will teach, you should speak better!" Hermione blamed him while turning away from her dispute with Ron from her bizarre schedule.

"I might be force to get used to here, and let people use my first name, but it doesn't mean I'll like it, or let you do it without adding the 'san' article to follow. Please use it, or call me Portgas, Granger. And for my language, you have no idea where I'm from, and you're not my mother to make me change my vocabulary."

"Well what would she say, if she did hear you?"

Ace raised his eyes from his schedule an answered her:

"I have no idea since she died to let me live. I need to get going, I have my first class to teach."

"Who do you have?" asked Harry, while his friend asked forgiveness with a red face.

Ace showed him his timetable.

Ron leaned over his friend to see it.

"It is weird, but no as much as Hermione's" commented Ron while giving it back. "Fred, George, you'll let us know, since you'll have him first?"

"We'll think about it, brother of ours" smiled George.

"well, see you all later" ended Ace while taking his bag.

.

.

"Welcome" made a veiled voice raising from the twilight of the room. "I am happy to finally see you in the physical world".

Harry thought he was in front of a giant gleaming bug, but it was only professor Trelawney.

She made her introduction, scaring at least three students while doing it, and made them begin the study of tea leave in pairs.

"Let's see", said the redhead while opening his book at the right page. "What do you see in mine?"

"Something brown and all mushy." answered the boy who lived.

The smoke that was rising from the teapot made his sleepy and his mind foggy.

"Open you minds, darlings, let your eyes see beyond what seems!" exclaimed the teacher from a darkened corner.

Harry tried to wake up.

"There is some kind of cross. Which means that you will go through 'hard trials and sufferance', I am sorry. But there is something else, it could be... a sun? So, wait, I'm looking for it... 'great happiness'... Therefore, you should suffer but you will be at peace..."

"You should check your Third Eye, if you want my opinion" said Ron.

They chocked a laugh under the piercing look of the teacher.

While Ron was trying to untangle his friend's mug, the professor came and took it from the hands of the redhead... who started to concatenate bad omens:

A falcon for a mortal enemy... here comes Voldemort.

The club, so someone was going to attack Harry (Ace kept a sneeze in his Haki class, happily watching the students hit each other).

A skull... from the way their second year went, they could indeed expect danger on the way.

But the last omen made the teacher cri out, and collapse on the armchair in a dramatic pause.

"My poor, poor boy... No, there is no better way to say it... Don't ask me anything..."

"What did you see, professor?" asked Dean right away.

"I am so sorry, poor darling..." said Trelawney opening her big eyes tragically. "The Grim is on you!"

"The what?" was Harry's answer.

After a short explanation, and a small panic, and Hermione giving her opinion only to be shut up, Seamus commented while toggling his face from left to right and looking in the teacup.

"It looks like a Grim if we look this way" he said, eyes slightly closed. But seeing this way, it looks like a donkey" he added the head on the left side.

"When you will have decided if I must die or not, please tell me:" declared Harry, surprised by his own talk.

From there on, no one dared to look at him.

The class concluded this way, a prediction saying Neville would be late the next time.

.

.

Ace got right in time for the Metamorphosis class.

He apologized himself, made a small bow in front of McGonagall and took a seat against a wall, challenging anyone wishing to sit beside him.

Strangely enough, everyone seemed to stare at Potter, giving him looks that probably were suppose to be undercover, to where he sat, in the back of the room.

Despite everything else, the animagi demonstration truly mesmerized Ace... Maybe McGonagall would accept to give him classes about it...

"Well, what happened today?" wondered McGonagall who took her human shape with a small 'pop'. It is the first time my metamorphosis does not receive praises.

"There is a start to everything, sensei..." smile Ace. This was really impressive.

The woman saw the interested look in the young man's smile, and understood that he would come to her to learn. _Quickly_.

Despite this, everyone was still looking at Harry, not saying a word. Hermione took it upon herself to explain what happened, but the sole mention of 'divination' was enough.

"Ah, I understand" the woman cut, "no need to explain further, Miss Granger. Please tell me who is supposed to die this year."

The students all stared with round eyes at her. What?

"Me" answered Harry.

"I see. You must know, Potter, that each year since she came to this school, Sybille Trelawney predicts the death of someone. And despite this, up to now, every one is still alive. She always starts a new year with a death premonition. If I was not used to it, I would not talk against one of my colleagues..."

The teacher stopped herself for a few seconds, trying to master herself back.

"Divination is one of the more... nebulous... branches of magic" she started calmly. "I will not hide the fact that I feel a certain... annoyance against this type of practice. Real psychics are truly rare, and professor Trelawney..."

"Does not seem to be one" thought Ace aloud, amused by the whole display.

"You seem to me to be in perfect health, Potter, and I have the regret to tell you, you will not be exempted from the next homework. But if you do die, I promise you will not have to give it to me. But, from what I understood from the learning methods used in Haki, it is something that might happen with Mr Portgas."

Ace bit his cheeks not to laugh out loud, Hermione did the same. This was definitely relaxing Harry.

"I have a question about animagus, sensei" said Ace trying to have a serious tone. "Are partial transformations possible?"

"What do you mean by partial?"

"Let's say your animagus form is a bird. Would one be able to only change his legs into talons, or it's arms into wings?"

He could see in his mind, numerous times Marco would hang an idiot by his talons, while staying human at 99%.

"No, I am sorry young man, but it is not possible. Or should I say, no one ever did it."

"Soka, Arigato sensei."

Ace wrote down in the margins of his paper 'animagus ≠ zoan', and stayed focused on the remaining of the course.

.

.

Ron continued to insist on the Grim danger during the meal, and ended up vexing Hermione.

"_Never_ vex a girl, she will pay you back a thousand-fold" Ace told him, satisfied seeing the fifth years, who he had that morning, still dressing their bruises and hurts.

"What do you know about it?" asked Ron

A cold chill attacked Ace.

"The person that would put me back on my feet after whatever crap I pulled was a woman. And everyone knew that if we looked for it, she could be dangerous and sadistic... facing this kind of demon, you learn to bow in front of the greater sex. You are still young, you'll understand later."

Harry followed Ace's eyes and noticed the fifth years. Most of them where blasting Ace with looks... which seemed only to improve his mood and smile.

"You'll know when your turn is up, Potter" answered Ace while going away. "And that means tonight, before supper."


	4. Introduction to Haki

Chapter 4: Introduction to Haki

Warning, first allusions to yaoi in this chapter. If it doesn't suit you, just quit.

Relaxed.

That was how one would describe Ace.

Harry noticed that once the teen took a deep breath of the forest's air, all tension from his shoulders disappeared and a smile, a _real_ smile – not his usual jaded smile– appeared on his face.

When Hagrid asked them who had successfully opened their book, Ace raised his arm high, showing the book wide open.

"Just need to pet the monster book the way the fur goes, it's hardly difficult... And truly funny to do, sensei" smiled happily Ace.

"This guy is crazy" commented a Slytherin with who they were sharing the class.

But Ace's smile was truly magical and seemed to easy Hagrid.

Since Ace said they simply had to pet the book the way the fur was, Harry tried to do so with his book. It calmed right away, letting him remove the belt and open it without any trouble. Happy for himself, and having an open book, it's was easy to make smile Hagrid who was walking away toward a big enclosure.

"This school has truly fallen low" commented Malfoy loudly. "Now this good-for-nothing became a teacher! My father will have a stroke when I'll tell him..."

"Oi, _teme_, do you always hide behind your daddy whenever something upsets you?" asked Ace. "_'Daddy, the teacher gave us a mean book that wants to eat us alive, can I have a hug and a lollipop_?"

Ace had mimicked to the best of his abilities the voice of a child to say it and all Gryffindors where laughing out loud, including some of the Slytherins. Malfoy for one was getting redder than a bead under the insult.

Lavender Brown's high-pitched surprised cry made them turn their head.

A dozen of strange creatures where trotting toward them. The body and back legs of a horse, and the front that looked like a giant eagle. Almost every student took a step back.

"Those a Hippogriffs!" announced Hagrid in a happy tone. "Wonderful, are they not?"

It was true, once the initial surprised passed... Harry wanted to do like Ace; whistle in front of the bizarre beauty of the creatures.

"Well, if you would please come closer..."

No one, other than Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ace, stepped forward.

"The first thing one must know, is that Hippogriffs have a great pride" said the half-giant. "They are highly susceptible. Do not, EVER, insult one or it might be the last thing you ever do."

Ace quickly glanced toward Malfoy and his followers, Crabbe and Goyle. Promising himself to keep an eye on them. This not-quite-human man of a teacher was nice, and it would be stupid for something to happen. Especially that for the first time in his life, he was in a school... it would be quite upsetting that something bad happen on the very first day. And those three looked like they wanted to provoke an incident, not by accident.

Hagrid continued with the directives, then asked for volunteers.

Harry jumped in the deep end, which got him a sad look from Ace, which he saw.

"Well, here are two volunteers! Congratulations Harry and... Portgas, is it? Harry, you will have Buckbeack. Portgas, let's see..."

Hagrid's sentence died on his lips when moving as one, all the hippogriffs bowed in front of Ace, who had moved up a little toward the enclosure.

"From the silence, I'm guessing this is not supposed to happen" commented Ace scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "So, I'll just go at the back to watch the end of the class, leaving the action to Potter here, for his glorious Sacrifice. Nice to have known you, Potter."

He slightly tapped Harry's shoulder, bowed to the hippogriffs and left the enclosure to go at the back of the group, at the root of a tree.

He was starting to get use to this kind of reaction from animals. It had started at the Great Line, and intensified in the Shin Sekai. It was only once on the _Moby Dick_, and talking with Marco, that he learned why: some creatures instinctively felt a lord when they saw one. The Haoshoku was perceived by a few, who, following their instinct, were pacific and respectful toward the Haki teacher, to avoid annoying him.

.

.

"_But, you're a bird, so why did you never bow in front of me?"_

"_Because I am far too suicidal for that, yoi... And you should be happy I let you be on top in bed, from time to time"_

_._

_._

Ace tried not to smile at the memory.

He looked at Potter, bowing in front of Buck. The creature returned the gesture a long time afterwards. The boy moved forward to pet his beak. He smiled way more once they flew away.

And soon they were back, and everyone applauded. Mesmerized by the boy's success, the other students tried. Even Malfoy.

And it only took an instant.

Such a small time, before Malfoy was proving arrogant, insulted the animal. After he was pushed to the ground.

The beast's claws split the space...

_Cling_ !

The sound surprised everyone.

Ace had used a _soru_ to get there in time and taken the place of that idiot of a boy, raising his Haki covered arm to stop the claws. His clothes were teared, but only a metallic sound was produced form the contact.

Ace and Buck's eyes met as Hagrid tried to put the collar back on the Hippogriff.

After a small pupil contraction and a slight use of Haki, just enough to send the giant eagle-bird to hide away in the pen before fainting, leaving Hagrid to worry.

"He's fine. He should be back to himself in a few minutes... now, I think a certain idiot more than earned a detention. Not listening to the instructions given at the beginning of the class, and stupidly putting himself in danger" calmly said Ace.

"You are wounded and this is the first thing you think about?!" exclaimed Seamus.

"Wounded?"

Ace pulled back his torned up sleeve to show his arm. There were some scratches on the holster on his forearm, but it was not broken. No blood, nor injury.

Hagrid seemed thankful to see an uninjured Ace.

"You should still be examined by the med-witched. As for you, Malfoy, a week worth of detention and twenty-five points from Slytherin for not listening to my explicit directives. Pick up your things, the class is dismissed."

Ace bowed to Hagrid, thanking him for the time.

"Thank you for your intervention, even thou it was highly risky" answered the man.

"I like danger", reassured Ace.

"Portgas, we will come with you to Mrs Pomfresh, so she can examine you" Hermione told him.

Ace followed the girl and the two others like a good little boy.

Thankfully they had been dismissed from class slightly before the usual time, which gave him time to change his clothes. He did not want to scare the students in his next class.

"How did you get in front of Malfoy so fast?" asked Harry.

"You should have let Buckbeack do it, we would have been rid of that idiot" mumbled Ron.

"No. I like that professor. Who could say what would have happened if that boy's blood had spilled? From what I could tell, I assume that his dear father has high friends where it counts and that what he wants, he usually gets. Therefore, if his son wanted Hagrid-sensei to be punished, since he would have been hurt, there would have been dire consequences." explained Ace. "Something might still happen, but we would now be in good position to defend Hagrid, other than to help him the most we could."

"That is some deep thinking, Portgas" commented Hermione, thoughtfully. "But how did you manage to move so fast, and not get hurt?"

"The _soru_ is a technique that allows one to move extremely fast from one place to another. You are not physically fit enough for that."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry. "You don't look to have more muscle mass than us."

Ace stopped walking, pulled his shirt up enough to expose his chest, well… he did have some muscle.

"That is quite a weapon, and more than one girl would fall for you, Portgas" said a reddened Hermione while Ron failed to hide his jealousy.

Ace dismissed the comment. First, he was already taken. Second, he didn't feel attracted to girls.

Mrs Pomfresh examined Ace and released him, since he had nothing.

"I advise you to change your clothes... I will meet you for Haki" announced Ace, splitting from the trio when exiting from the infirmary.

"Why?"

"Tell everyone from the house that I am asking to have clothes for physical effort. I asked the fifth years to pass the word, but I don't know if they did."

"And you?"

Ace showed them his bag and left.

.

.

"What do you think we are going to do?" asked Ernie who joined the Golden Trio on the way to class.

"Sport, I think, from the way we need to be dressed." answered Hermione.

"I heard what happened during Hagrid's class... Is it true he was unhurt?"

"Not a single scratch" said Ron. "The only scratched were to the case on his wrist."

The hullabaloo in front of the door let them know they reached their destination.

The Slytherins where grouped in a corner, mumbling between them.

"A technique that cannot be learned in any books, so unknown that we will never hear of it outside of here... It's crazy !" confessed Dean Thomas.

The door opened with Ace. He had a short-sleeved orange T-shirt and black long shorts, with combat boots to match it. The students surprised themselves by swallowing when they saw the wicked blade in the holster on his forearm with his wand and a dagger at his belt.

"Please enter in my torture room!" smirk darkly Ace.

And he walked back to the middle of the room.

The place was big enough to easily accommodate everyone and allow them plenty of space to move around. There were no desks nor chairs. Only a few lockers in a corner, where they could already find Ace's bag.

"The last one in closes the door" demanded Ace.

And Neville obeyed.

"Before starting, you'll place yourselves in rows, and give me your signed authorisations that say I will not be condoned by your parents, because I torture you while teaching Haki." followed the young man.

"How could one teach by torture?" grumbled Draco.

"It's a sayin', you dumb boy. And here, I am not a classmate but a teacher. I will therefore demand _respect_. If it is bothering someone, I will kick his ass, and kick him out to never be in my class again. Are we all in agreement?"

Silence.

"Alright, the authorizations. You should feel lucky, if I used the same method with which I learned Haki, you would all be dead in an hour and a half."

Hermione raised her hand, while Ace started to pick up Ravenclaw's authorizations.

"Granger?"

"How did you learn Haki, _professor_?"

"From multiplied way. For example, when I was five, my legal _guardian_ abandoned me in a jungle filled with not so amicable animals, I had to survive on my own... and dodge his punches when going back to civilizations. Ah the good old time..."

"Are you serious?" exclaimed another student.

"There are a lot of things I have seen that would make you say that."

Ace went to the Hufflepuffs, then the Gryffindors to receive the papers.

"Finnigan..."

Seamus lowered his head, having no authorization to give.

"You will be hurt during this class. If your parents do not give their authorization, I am obliged to ask you to exit the class until you have one. Wari."

Seamus went away, deeply saddened.

"If there are others like him, you know what to do."

Within a few seconds, a few Slytherins went away. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle part of them. The pale blond throwing a dark look toward Ace, who completely ignored him.

Once he had the authorizations, he put them in his pant's pocket and folded his arms on his chest. This attracted many girl's sights and boy's jealousy, for the flexing of his muscles.

"I see that you have all found exercise clothes. Perfect. Please put your bags in the lockers and before we start on the warm up, I'll tell you a bit about the subject. I expect from you that none of what we do here exits this very room, except if teaching it, one day."

The students went to put their things away and Ace made them sit in front of him, on the floor. The Golden Trio was in the first row.

"You must know, everyone can learn Haki. From the greatest sorcerer of this world to the simplest of Muggles" announced Ace. "The potential is in all Humanoid. It's a work of the mind. And continuously working on it is the only way to achieve a further lever in this technique."

The young pirate was slowly walking back and forth in front of the attentive students.

Harry was surprised by how calm Ace was. If the roles where reversed, he would never seem so relaxed at the responsibility of teaching.

"There are three Haki types. The Kenbushoku, the Busoshoku and the Haoshoku. You can respectively translate them as Observation, Armament and Royal or The Conqueror Fluids. The Observation, the only one that I will teach you, allows you to _feel_ the _voices_ of the spirit of people. With work, you will be able to identify who is who without needing to see them. Know they fatigue level, health, position and strength. If you keep training, you will be able to feel danger from an element or another a few instants before, which could save your skin. When you will reach an advanced level, you might even hear the _voices_ of objects."

He was not going to explain the difference between that level and the 'voice of all things'.

Hermione raised her arm.

"How is it possible to detect so many information from a simple sensation?"

Ace closed his eyes, walking between the students until he reached a girl, without walking on a single hand.

"You haven't slept all night."

He walked to Neville, still eyes closed:

"You are nervous."

Ace reopened his eyes.

"It is intuition and simple nuances. Once you awaken Haki, you will start to _know_, slowly, this or that detail or a specific _voice._ More you practice, more the details will be precise. At my level, you could all attack me throwing every spell you know, and you would be unable to touch me."

Padma Patil raised her arm.

"Yes...?"

"Patil Padma. I wanted to know why we would only learn one of the three Hakis, professor."

"There are three good reasons for that. First, I cannot teach you Haoshoku. If the other two forms can be learned, that one is the exception. Very few people are gifted with it."

Dean had a question.

"You said it could be translated as Royal Fluid. Does one need a king's blood to master it?"

"No. To master it, one must use the other two sufficiently. But to have it... you need to be _lucky_, I guess. In a few circles of Haki knowers, we tell that those that have Haki have the potential to be King. I have it, but have no intention to become a ruler in any future."

A murmur went on between the students and Harry raised his arm.

"Potter?"

"Is it by using this Haki that you made Buck faint earlier?"

"Indeed. I will come back in details on this once I answer the Ravenclaw's question. So the second reason why I cannot teach all three is because you are wizards. You will never reach your adversary in close combat, and it is impossible to coat a spell with Haki. I tried, believe me. And my last reason, is time. To make you learn, in a minimum of time, the two Haki forms, I would need to train you _every day_, at all times, in a hostile environment, which would allow the awakening of your Haki. But, since I am also a student here, and I only have 24 hours in a day, and the method is rather dangerous... You will already be all black and blue whenever you have my class, you would likely die with the other method." Ace took a few seconds. "You will must definitely hate me. But that's on me. I am not here to hold your hand or pet your back. I am not here to be your friend. In this classroom, I am here to give you a new weapon, without using your magic wand, to escape dangerous situations. Am I clear?"

From the looks he received; he had been.

"Let's go back on the different types of Haki. The last type is Busoshoku, which is Armament. Nothing better than an example to explain."

Ace walked up to a wall, made a gesture for them to join. The students spread around him to see correctly.

"Anyone wanting to punch the wall as an example?"

No volunteers, until a Hufflepuff shuffled to the front.

"Your name?"

"Smith! If we only need to punch the wall, that's not bad!"

He punched it and grimaced. The wall had not moved.

"Arrogance is a great enemy, be careful." Ace told him. "We agree, it is solid. Move aside."

Everyone went back and Ace punched the wall.

The wall cracked, surprising everyone.

"This is without Haki. Pure strength."

Ace moved away from the weakened zone, and raised his hand to allow everyone to see. Then it changed to a slightly dark metallic colour. A few whispers spread out.

"And this is what one can do with a fair level in Armament Haki."

He turned to the wall with a single digit raised.

And his finger easily went through the wall, so easily he could put his whole arm in the hole. Ace frowned, then removed it, taking Peeves with it, stuck in his darkened hand.

"Ah, just a ghost" he said.

He put it back in the hole, ignoring the slur of insults from the spirit. A simple spell and the hole wasn't there anymore.

Ace diminished the Haki concentration in his hand and turned to the closest student, lightly tapping her on the top of the head.

"Ouch!" said the girl while rubbing her forehead.

"This is the idea of Armament. It is stronger and more useful than even the thickest armour, but the lightest and most inoffensive gesture can become quite dangerous."

Ace unsheathed his dagger and shower it to the students while it was slowly taking on a dark tinge, before pushing it in stone like it was simple butter.

"Coating a weapon with Haki, and it will become a deadly tool in your arms. You get the idea, or I need to do another demonstration?"

"Please tell us more about the last Haki" asked a Slytherin.

"What is your name?"

"Blaise Zabini."

"I have two questions for you... Can you be my guinea pig?"

The Slytherin seemed to hesitate, but nodded.

"Second question, do you agree to get a few slaps, if you faint?"

"I am not going to faint!" answered the injured ego.

"Yes or no?"

Zabini seemed to hesitate further, but Harry took a step forward.

"I can do it."

"As you want, Potter."

The pirate took the boy by his arm to lead him to the middle of the room. There, he left him and took a few steps back. Everyone else made a circle around them.

"Ready?" asked the pirate.

Harry swallowed and nodded his head.

He saw Ace's pupil contract, before feeling like a big wave hit him head first.

He staggers a few, before falling on one knee on the ground, breathless, covered in sweat.

He wanted to flee, as quickly as possible. This man was _DANGEROUS_.

He had never felt such fear.

It was... more than fear... more than fright... he felt threatened, in danger... Ace could have put his blade to his throat or to threaten to kill him with his wand and he would have felt safer than now.

"Not bad, Potter... you have a strong will on your own. I have seen trained man lose consciousness in front of this Haki. Do you feel up to continue the class, or do you need a few minutes for yourself?"

Respect.

Harry raised his eyes toward Ace.

Ace respected him before, but there was some sort of distance between them, like an adult in front of a child. Now, Ace was seeing him as an equal.

"I'll be alright..."

He got up swaying a bit, and accepted Ace's hand to get steady.

"Can you tell the group what you felt?"

Harry tried to get his breath back, and finally said to the other student:

"I don't know how to tell this, I... I felt like a wave. Being hit by it and losing balance. I'll be honest, and say that, for a few seconds, I had one idea in my mind... To run away, as fast and as far as possible. My gut was screaming at me that he is dangerous."

Ace nodded and lightly patted his back.

"But you did nothing, nothing else than look at him!" remarked a student.

"I had nothing to do more. Haki, is the work of the mind. Currently, I am using Kenbushoku, can anyone see anything special? Nothing? Well, I like to do things flashy usually, so, I usually take a pose with my favourite had, but I do not have it currently and therefore, it's useless..."

Neville raised his arm.

"Yes, Longbottom?"

"Is this how you pushed back the Dementors on the train?"

Ace nodded.

Hermione hand shot up like a rocket.

"Granger?"

"How do you explain the hippogriffs reactions when you got in the enclosure, professor Portgas?"

"A few creatures _instinctively _know how to recognize predators. This Haki makes me one for many beasts. Therefore, the smarter ones bow down and pray not to become a prey. As simple as that."

«Easy to understand, once you experiment Haki. » thought Harry.

"Alright, now if no one has any questions left, please warm up a little."

Ace took a look at his watch, mentally doing the math for how long was left, and looked at his new victims... hummm... _students_ with a wide smile.

"You will run around the room, after, you will play around with each other" told Ace.

"Running?" exclaimed a Slytherin that looked slightly like a rabbit.

"Yes, running. If you don't like it, I can erase your mind of what you learned, and let you leave this class..."

No other protest.

Ace shower them the path around the room, and watched them, hands in his pockets, with a mean snarl on his lips.

A Ravenclaw moaned when he got hit by a rock on his head.

"Who told you to stop running? Avoid the rocks!" told them Ace.

This was torture.

Yes, truly torture.

.

.

The fifth year seamed quite happy to see the third years where in as bad shape as them at supper time.

Hagrid was at the teacher's table, talking with Ace that was frowning.

"What is it?" asked Ron when the young boy cam back to the Gryffindor table.

"Malfoy talked of the incident with the administration" answered Ace. "It's a good thing no one was hurt, otherwise, I am ready to bet he would have locked himself in his house, and emptied quite a few bottled."

He took a water glass, and added a tad of pumpkin juice.

"Portgas?"

"Humm?"

"I thought about a question during class... Can I ask it now?"

"I'll answer if I feel like it. You can always ask."

"How do we know if we have the Conqueror Fluid?"

Ace played with his food a little, searching for a good answer... He sighted and looked at Potter. The other two where paying attention as well.

"I don't know. You find out... that's all..."

He lowered his eyes to his place and murmured:

"Right after I reached eleven is when I used Haoshoku for the first time. Back then, I did not know what it was. If it didn't happen... my little brother and I would be dead now."

He put his fork back and got up, not hungry anymore.

"I do not enjoy remembering this, I am going to bed."


	5. Halloween Night

Chapter 5: Halloween Night

That Thursday, during potion class, Ace almost strangled Malfoy.

He threw an eloquent stare at Snape, but the teacher simply raised his eyebrows.

Ace put his knife down and patiently waited for Malfoy to end his little story about how he was going to have Hagrid fire. Without the weapon in his hand, he was slightly less tempted to threw it in the boy's heart. He was however attentive enough to snap Neville's hand away when the boy was going to add a second rat's live to the potion.

"Humm?" made the surprised boy.

Ace pointed to the blackboard's instructions.

"Oh, thank you" a reddened Neville answered, seeing the error he was about to make.

"Breathe, take you time. One instruction at a time."

Neville tried to take a deep breathing.

"Forget about everyone. There are no one else than you here..."

"Mr. Portgas, may I know what you are doing?" asked Snape, walking toward them.

The classroom was suddenly silent.

"I am avoiding an incident, Sensei. The stress and panic from my comrade, during the manipulation of a potentially dangerous mix, could cause an event that would affect one or multiple students. If I successfully calm him, there would be no suck incident. Simple security measure."

Ace and Snape stared at each other for a long time until the man nodded.

"Good, do try to calm him. His toad will be the guinea pig for his potion."

"No issue there, Sensei."

Neville moaned, but Ace smiled back at him and Snape went away.

"Calm down. Simply ignore him. The instructions are written on the board. Do them line per line. Do you want us to do it together?"

"Thank you, Portgas..."

"You remind me of my little brother; therefore, I will allow you to call me by my first name."

Neville seemed surprised but followed the same steps as Ace.

Now that he had to focus on Neville and keep him from panicking, Ace had felt less likely to throw himself at Draco and kill him. He still listened when Seamus talked to them about how Sirius Black had recently been sighted close by.

But what was Malfoy looking for, by talking about revenge to potter? He would have to investigate

The time flew by.

Ace was proud that Neville's cauldron was the same colour as his, and Hermione's. A beautiful deep green.

Once the cleaning was done, Neville folded on himself when Snape came to his cauldron, but Ace briefly tightened his hand on his shoulder, to reassure him. Firmly taking hold of Trevor in his hand, Snape made the Toad gulp down a few drops of the potion. The animal was transformed into a tadpole with a quick sound.

"Ten points to Portgas, to successfully get Longbottom to do something right" said Snape while giving the antidote to the pet. "Class dismissed."

.

.

"It is a _miracle_! You don't get it Portgas! Exclaimed Ron. "Why do you stop?".

Ace had stopped short on the way to the Great Hall, frowning deeply. Hermione's voice just multiplied.

"Where we're you?" asked Ron to the Ravenclaw's mind, when she joined them. "One second you were here and the next..."

"Oh, hmm... I had to go grab something."

Crack!

And the sewing of her bag broke.

Ace looked at her an instant, before helping her to pick up her books.

"I do not know how you did it, but I will find how, count on that" whistled Ace while giving back the books.

And he went to sit at the table, under Hermione's worried and perplexed stare.

Ron and Harry followed the girl into the Great Hall and sat beside Ace, who had already started to gulp down food.

"Is it true what is said?" asked Fred.

" Snape gave you points" finished his twin while they sat between Ron and Ace.

"Yes" mumbled Ace while shrugging.

"How bloody hell did you do it? He had a cranial trauma or what? Asked the George.

"Let's say he know many things about I, and I about him, allowing us a mutual respect. There is also the fact that I am able to follow simple instructions and he are unable to influence me by his old grouchy attitude... Honestly... Seeing students frightened by him makes me laugh. They never met the man that pretends to be my grandpa..."

He grimaced by the memory alone.

"What do you have against him?" asked Ron, eating.

"He is about Hagrid-sensei's size, so, imagine when he gives Haki covered punched, on your head. I wonder how I survived my childhood..."

Everyone looked at him in doubt but shake it off.

"So, we have Okami-sensei today..." said Ace to change the subject.

"Yes. Do you have a class to teach, Ace?" asked Neville.

"Hmm... The second years, right after Okami-sensei."

"We trust our little sister to you" said Fred.

"Meet at super for our little business?" proposed George.

"Aye" answered Ace.

.

.

Ace turned his head away from his discussion with Snape when Lupin entered with the students.

"Ah, Hiken, you are always here!" happily said the professor going to the front of the class.

"Snape-sensei was talking to me about interesting potions while I was waiting for you, Okami-sensei."

The potion master had an evil sneer.

"I will leave. I do not want to see this.

He walked by the students and up to the door before turning around and say:

"You may not have been warned, Lupin, but in this group, there is a student named Neville Longbottom, and I highly advise you to restrain him from doing any difficult exercises. Except if Miss Granger is there to whisper his what to do, or Portgas-_taisho_ to get his head right."

Ace growled menace, while Neville became beet-like.

Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"I was hoping Neville would help me to do the first part of the experiment" the werewolf answered. "I am sure he will do wonderfully."

Neville's face reddened even more. Snape has a despising grin but exited without further comment.

I assume we will go against what is in that old wardrobe" said Ace while pointing to the furniture at the end of the classroom.

"Exact" answered Lupin.

That _voice_ kept changing... It was everything, and nothing at the same time.

Once they were gathered in the back, the wardrobe shook, making the student jump.

"Why do you look so perplex?" wondered Hermione toward Ace.

"I have never felt something like this. It is... Everything and yet..."

"There is inside here, a Boggart" announced the teacher.

Apparently, that did not reassure many students.

"Boggarts like dark and closed spaces. Wardrobes, under the beds, the cupboards, under the sink... one day, I saw one that had took residence in an old grand-father's clock. This one came yesterday afternoon; I asked the director's approval to use it to be able to do a practical exercise. The first question we will ask is 'What is a Boggart?'."

Hermione almost hit Ace while raising her arm.

"It is a creature that is a shapeshifter, taking the form of your worse fear."

"I would not have giving a better definition" professor Lupin approved, making Hermione shine with praise. "I see that I have the Gryffindor here, which means we have our resident Haki expert here. What do you think, young man?"

Ace closed his eyes to focus entirely on the voice.

"I would say that Granger's definition is incomplete. Within a few micro-seconds, the _voice_ of this Boggart changes from one thing to another... But the _voices_ normally felt by Haki are unique from one thing to the next. This creature can mimic things deeper than simply by look."

He looked at Lupin.

"That is quite interesting. Five points to Gryffindor for this wonderful information" smiled the teacher.

Ace did a small bow head, for respect.

"So this Boggart in this wardrobe has the potential to become anything. He does not know yet what would scare the first person that it will meet on the other side of the door. No one knows what a Boggart looks like when alone, but only when they are let loose, they will immediately take the shape of your deepest fear. Which means we have a rather large advantage on him. Could you tell me which, Harry?"

Harry ignored Hermione who had risen to the tip of her toes while dangling her hand to be seen, and Ace's malicious little smile. The boy tried an answer:

"Since we are many, it won't know which shape to take to scare everyone at the same time".

"Exactly!"

Lupin continued his explanations, then told the spell against Boggarts; _Riddikulus_, and the solution; laughter.

Ace raised his hand.

"Yes, Hiken?"

"Let's say what we are the most afraid is... beyond what we can do. I am not ashamed to say that what frightens me the most, is losing my closest people. I cannot laugh in front of that. But if I had a fear, less bad then this one, would it be possible to force it onto the Boggart?"

"That is a great question" approved Lupin. "Yes, it is possible. You must use absolute focus to do this, to hide away your real fear by a lesser one. That is almost the equivalent of a mental shield. If I am not indiscreet, do you have an idea, young man?"

Ace swallowed before mumbling something intangible.

"I am sorry, my Japanese is not the best, you said _jiji_?"

"My grand-father, of a sort..."

Thinking of Garp made him shiver. But it was always better than to have to face his dear's cadavers. Lupin smiled at Ace.

"Alright, Neville, you will be the first. To start with, what is the thing that scares you the most in the world."

Neville's lips moved, but no sounds came out.

"Sorry, I did not hear what you just said" thew Lupin with a joyous tone.

Neville looked around, like he was hoping for help, then in a whisper:

"Professor Snape."

This made the whole class laugh. Neville himself had a nervous smile. Lupin seemed thoughtful.

"Professor Snape… Hummmm… Neville, you live with your grand-mother, I believe?"

"… Yes?" answered the boy, on edge. "I wouldn't want the boggart to become her either…"

"No, no, you did not understand me" added the teacher with a smile. "Could you tell us more about how she usually dresses?"

Neville seemed surprised.

"She... she always wears a large hat with a stuffed vulture on top. And a large green, robe. Most often... well sometime... a fox stole as well."

"Does she use a handbag?" asked Lupin.

"Yes, a big red one" answered the boy.

"Perfect. Now, I want you to think of those clothes with extreme precision, in your head. Alright Neville? Can you see them in your mind?"

"Yes" said the boy in an unsure voice, he did not know what was expected of him.

"When the Boggart will exit the wardrobe and see you in front on him, Neville, he will instantly take professor Snape's appearance." said Lupin. Then, you will raise your wand, like this, and scream: 'Riddikulus' thinking really hard about your grandmother's clothes. If everything goes as expected, the Boggart, with Snape's looks, should then be dressed with a vulture hat, a big green dress and a red handbag."

The students were already close to laughing with only the description, then the wardrobe violently shook. A dangerous image that almost sent Ace on the ground.

"If Neville succeeds, it is likely that the Boggart interest will switch to one of us, each our turn" continued Lupin. "I would therefore want all of you to think of what scares you the most, and imagine a way to transform said fear into something comical..."

A large silence spread through the classroom, and Ace went to lean against the wall.

Garp. He had to focus on this one idea. Nothing more. Forget everything else.

Everything.

His brothers, his crew, Marco, Makino... everything.

He breathed deeply.

He had more than one weapon to make the old man's look become uproarious...

"Everyone is ready?" asked Lupin.

Yes, he was ready. Ready enough for everything to go well, and for Garp to appear.

Everyone moved away from Neville, and as soon as Lupin ended his countdown, open the wardrobe's door.

The _voice_ stabilized, and Snape walked out of the door.

Identical to the one currently in the dungeons.

"R...R... Riddikulus!" exclaimed Neville with a small voice.

After a small sound, close to a whip, Snape stumbled and was suddenly dressed with a long dress with lace, a huge hat with a stuffed vulture eaten away by parasites and an enormous bag which he was holding in his hand.

By laughing a bit, Ace had the confirmation. Yes, the image was dangerous.

"Parvati! Your turn!"

Parvati moved forward, looking straight ahead. Snape turned toward her, a clack was heard and instead of the teacher, a bloody mummy surrounded by bandages.

"Riddikulus!" exclaimed Parvati.

One of the bandages fell down, making the mummy trip, which made it lose it's head from the shock.

Then came Seamus' turn, who was afraid of the specter of death, with loud shreikings. Once the spell worked, it became mute.

"Hiken, when you want!"

Ace took a deep breath, focusing on the idea of Garp. He took a step forward.

Clack!

Ace felt his heart explode, while the heat rose.

"Akainu." he whispered.

The man was there, holding Luffy by his throat, Sabo's body behind him, and a burned Marco at his feet.

Before he could do anything, Ace's focus increased, which transformed the macabre scene with the great old Monkey D. Garp. Many students fell back a few meters and were suddenly afraid by the loud shouting from the man:

"_PORTGAS ! K'SSOU GAKKI_!"

Same voice, same aura, same comportment.

The mastodon's smile as he was walking toward him, bringing his Haki covered black fist made Ace gulp.

"Riddikulus!"

Clack!

And one Garp dressed with Ivankov's clothes! One!

Neville had to help Ace move back, since he couldn't even stand straight from the laughing.

This image was more than dangerous and worth all the berrys in the sea. Oh he just had to find a way to send it to the others!

"I've dreamed of this for so long..." confessed Ace while letting himself fall against the wall.

Next was Ron's turn. Ace had a small smile seeing the spider lose her legs from under it. And finally, Potter...

"HERE!"

Lupin stopped it.

Clack!

Everyone looked around for the Boggart, except Ace, since he immediately felt it.

"_Mangetsu_..." he murmured.

The full moon became a pierced balloon, and back into the wardrobe.

The teacher gave the points around, then looked at Ace.

"Five points to Mr. Portgas who successfully, and with great difficulty, managed his biggest fear, to fight a lesser one."

"That old man, was he really your grandfather?" asked Hermione.

"Unfortunately" mumbled Ace.

Everyone looked at him in compassion. Just seeing it, was enough to respect him...

"You didn't see anything yet. I'm barely an ant compared to him" added Ace.

He bowed, and left the class.

"Portgas?" called Harry. "The first apparition..."

"Forget it." ordered Ace. "I need to go torture the second years."

.

.

Ace was just about to head for lunch, removing his robe from his bag, when a student from one of his Haki class approached him.

"Yes?" asked Ace.

"You are not exactly what you pretend to be" she told him in an absent voice and a pale look.

"Luna Lovegood, is it...? You are not usual either..."

"Why, any idea?" asked the young girl, tilting her head on one side.

"Because I had yet to meet someone with such a mastery of _Kenbunshoku_. You seem naturally awaken, is it almost unnerving."

"I am like that. But you, why do you hide under the cover of a student, when you are well past Hogwarts' age limit?"

Ah, so she knew.

"You are extremely intelligent. What betrayed me?"

"Your comportment. You are embittered. Too embittered, even for a child that suffered. I would give you around twenty. And you are not from this world either. You have this smell of sea spay that is too exotic to be from this Earth. Furthermore, I feel you are far too powerful to be a simple student."

Ace had a small smile.

"Soka. I would be thankful of you to keep this to yourself, to avoid it going back to the wrong persons. I am under a contract."

"Very well. Eat well, _Taïsho_-san.

Ace had a rare real smile, looking at the young girl that was leaving frolicking.

She was strange... but funny.

.

.

"Welcome back to us, athlete." commented Ace, facing away from the door as Harry entered the tower.

It had become some kind of game, to take Ace by surprise. No one had yet to succeed. Despite this, the strange energy from the common room quickly grabbed Potter's attention.

"What is happening?" asked Harry.

"Hogshead's first weekent, at the end of October, for Halloween."

An argument between Ron and Hermione erupted, about how Harry could make it, and if he really should, with Black still free.

"Isn't he going to be the only one not to go?" asked the redhead.

"I am not going either" mumbled Ace, without raising his eyes from his book.

"How come?" wondered Dean.

"I do not have parents to sign the permission slip, and less I see Jiji, better I am. To cut things short, my family are my brothers, and nothing else. Dumbledore said he would think about it..."

Ace shrugged and turned to the next page.

"I have seen far better and more impressive than a sad small wizard village."

Hermione opened her mouth, ready to answer him when Crookshanks jumped on her knees, a rather big dead spider in it's mouth, slowly shewing.

"Does it really need to eat this in front of me?" asked Ron with a grimace.

"He could have eaten it on _your_ knees" added Ace.

"You're doing your homework, Portgas?" wondered Hermione.

He put his bag on the table, and pushed it forward the girl.

"Check if you wish" he answered, before getting a pen from behind his ear and scribble something on his notes.

"What are you reading?" asked Harry, saddened in front of his astronomy homework.

"Two or three thing do not require a wand. I am researching a way to adapt some things I use to do a while ago, but cannot anymore. If I was you, I would move my bag, Weasley."

Ron looked at him with astonishment, but Ace's arm lunched out, grabbing Crookshanks to restrain him from grabbing the redhead's weird rat.

"You're finding this funny?" asked Fred when a new argument started between Ron and Hermione, but this time about Scrabbers and Crookshanks.

"Very" confessed Ace with a small smile, petting the cat now on his knees.

Fred shook his head and moved away.

"Portgas... you are a teacher, right? Can't you give me the authorization to go to the village?" asked Harry.

"If I had such power, I wouldn't need one myself" answered Ace.

"True..."

"Do you want us to do something, while they are not there?"

"What kind?"

Ace put his book away, and took Harry's hand.

"You wore a sword, at some point, no?"

"One time, briefly" Harry said.

"Do you want to learn sword fighting? I'm fair enough in fencing."

"Maybe... Is there anything you don't know in fighting?"

"To run or back away from a fight. I have never known how to do it, if I had, many things wouldn't have happened in my life..."

"What do you mean?"

Ace looked around them, making sure there was no one around, and undid some of his shirt.

"This stays between us. You are not the only one to bear scars."

He gestured at them to follow him, and walked up to their dormitory. Ace closed the door and removed his shirt.

Seeing the enormous scars on Ace's chest, Harry understood why he was always making sure no one saw him shirtless.

Ace pointed to his back, and Harry moved to see it.

In the middle there was a purple and white moustache, which looked a bit like a pirate's flag. And of course, the twin of the chest's scar. Something had pierced him... and his heart.

"You... you should be dead..." whispered Harry.

"Do you remember the first shape the Boggart took, before it became Jiji?"

Harry nodded.

"The man that was holding my brother by his throat is the one that made this. His name is Sakazuki, but he is better known under Akainu, which mean Red Dog. Red for the blood of all the people he killed under the name of the so-called Absolute Justice.

Ace put his shirt back on.

"If I am asking you to keep this a secret, it is because I do not want to answer your questions that would remind me such bad memories..."

"I understand, I will not say a word."

.

.

He like Luna.

She was... pretty crazy, and he adored her for it. It was nice to find someone that could stand his bullsh*t, and could even say some back.

While most students where at Hogshead, Ace and Luna took a few books from the library (Ace truthfully loved that he could access anything in the reserve) and they went up to the astronomy tour.

Once there, and after making sure the door was closed and locked, Ace could finally remove his runic bracelets that made him appear younger, and be his true self.

Luna didn't say a word. She only continued to smile, like everything was normal.

They spent the day talking about everything and nothing, fantastic creature and Kai-ô, legends and stories, all while reading. Whenever they would find something interesting in the papers, they would talk about that too.

It was... refreshing.

"We should start to go, it's almost time for the Halloween Feast."

Ace but the bracelets back, looking once again like his thirteen year old self, and followed Luna, chatting on the way. They split in the corridor and Ace went to the Gryffindor tower.

The trio was going down.

"Are you coming to eat?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, I'm just putting my book away" answered Ace

"What were you up to today?" inquired Ron.

Ace lift up his book and went to their room. Hid the book under his pillow and joined the other three downstairs.

"I spent an excellent day with a Ravenclaw second year slightly crazy, but extremely nice. It is also the only person I met that has a natural mastery of Kenbushoku."

"That's possible?" a surprised Harry asked.

"A few people come into this world with Haki already activate, and usually cannot master it. This young girl is one of them. Unfortunately, she cannot disable it."

"Why would you want to?" wondered Hermione.

"Because it's always difficult to hear a voice shut down..."

"I'm sorry?" asked the chosen one.

"A voice extinguishes when someone dies. One of the reasons why ghosts don't have a voice."

That went like cat drenched in water.

"Otherwise, what did you do, Potter?"

"I talked with Lupin, because of Colin Crivey, I wasn't able to stay in the common room, Filch could not stand to see me in the corridors and I did not want to go to the library."

"Do you get why he didn't want you to confront the Boggart?"

"Yes, there was a logical explanation. This makes me think, Snape brang him a weird potion."

"Why?" inquired Hermione.

"I don't know."

"Tell me he didn't drink it!" exclaimed Ron.

"He did/"

"But it could have been poison!"

"He wouldn't have poisoned him in front of Harry, Ron" added Hermione.

"Well, why not, ne? Since we don't kill people in front of witnesses, in general. If we use this logic, one could kill someone, purposely, because logic would say it's not something one does in public... It could be a way to evade suspicion" announce Ace with a large smile.

"What you just said, it so..." started Hermione, gulping.

"I used this to pull pranks, and it always fell on someone else" explained the young pirate.

"I understand why you seem to get along so well with the twins..."

.

.

They were about to start on the desserts when Ace suddently got up.

He turned toward Ravenclaw's table, a frown deep on his face, to see Luna who was already watching him. She shook her head and Ace removed his robe. He did not recognize this voice, nor did Luna.

"I entrust this to you" he announced.

He removed his shoes, his socks and put everything in his robe, before getting up from the table.

"Where are you going?" asked Ron.

"Nowhere!"

And just like that, Ace disappeared from the Great Hall, ignoring the student's curiosity at seeing him go so suddenly.

The young man hurried up the stairs, going up four by four, until he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, getting assaulted by an almost skeletal grim man.

Sirius Black.

"OI!"

The man turned around, slightly panicked seeing he was not alone, and started to run away.

Ace hurried, following suit. He raised an eyebrow at seeing the man transform into a skinny black dog, he ran faster.

"You think you can escape the Nibantaï Taîsho" grunted Ace.

He quickened yet again and followed the dog into the park, up to a tree... a dangerous tree.

Ace dodged the branches, looking at the hole in which the dog went, and successfully moved to the roots of the tree. He jumped into the tunnel.

His target was close by.

Ace sneaked out of the tunnel, trying to be silent. The floor creaked somewhere in front of him, right where the voice of the men he wanted was. He found himself in front of the stairs, and slowly went up. Trying to be as light and discrete as possible, to avoid any further creaking.

He finally entered a bedroom with and old but luxurious canopy bed, in the middle of decrepit walls, a broken floor but mostly a LOT of dust. The man in convict's clothes, was walking round and round in the room, oblivious to Ace. The young pirate took the opportunity to lean on the door, waiting to be seen. Since such event did not seem to come, he started to talk:

"I could have killed you at least a dozen times since I got here, if not more. For a fugitif, you're not really aware of your environment."

The man flinched back, turned to Ace with big round eyes.

"Calm down" ordered Ace. "I am not here to fight, even though I kinda want to beat up your ass for making me run for nothing...".

"A kid?"

Sirius regretted his words when he was sent to the grounds in less than two seconds, a teen firmly sit on his chest... A Cheshire-like smiling teenager...

"Are you aware I am supposed to be an escaped murderer?" asked the man.

"If you are a murderer, then I am a girl! I've seen my fair share of assassins, believe me, and you are missing quite a few things to be one, one of them more obvious than the others..."

Ace leaned on Sirius, their nose almost touching.

"The smell of _death_. You don't have the right smell. Of course, getting a shower wouldn't hurt, but one cannot have every luxury, especially an escape.

Ace got back up.

He reached out and helped the man get back on his feet.

"Thank the Fat Lady, I wanted to read a little, but now, until they find a volunteer to replace her, I won't have access to my dorm" commented Ace.

"You followed me just to talk me off for getting angry with that old painting? Asked Sirius, surprised.

"Iie, sorry I am forgetting my manners. My name is Portgas D. Ace, third year in Gryffindor. Officially War mage in training."

"Sirius Black. And the unofficial version?"

A mysterious grin spread over the pirate's face.

"You might know it one day. Otherwise, I'm curious... why did you want to get to Gryffindor's dormitories so much?"

Ace let himself fall on the bed, showing his intention not to move until he wouldn't know anything.

"You're not usual, kid" commented Sirius frowning slighlty.

"Oh, I know. I I was, I would be a student trying to teach almost all the students an unknown technique which, once mastered might save their life. But that doesn't tell me what you wanted with the Fat Lady. Either you wanted what everyone thought you did, to find Potter and kill him, or you had something to settle with the Lady. Bitchy as she is, it wouldn't surprise me. The Weasley twins, Lee and I, we keep getting ranted on when we go out to prepare our pranks."

The man's eye's seemed to lighten at the word 'prank'.

"I would like to avoid to be too far of the castle for longer. I left in the middle of the Halloween Feast, therefore I am already highly suspicious, so please tell me you motivation, or I will let you try on your own" threatened Ace.

"Oh, euh... well... I am looking for the one responsible for my situation. The one that made me the scapegoat. Peter Pettigrew. For a long time, I believed him dead while he was actually alive. Do you know what an animagus is?"

"I am getting private lessons with McGonagall to become one. So, this man, which is the cause of your incarceration, is an animagus. And he should be dead."

"I was accused of killing that traitor."

"Soka. What kind of animal?"

"A field rat... He is missing his little finger on one of his hands. I saw him in the journal, he's Weasley's pet."

"I felt that Scabbers was wrong. Good, please try not to be noticed anymore, and patience is a virtue. I do not know how long it will take me to make the death of the rat believable, but I will do it... if I find him. Once he is in my hands, I will contact you. Stay hidden until then."

Ace got up.

"Is that it?" wondered Sirius.

"What? What did you hope for? Some complaining? Some pity? I have enough worry for that."

And Ace left the house, the tunnel and exited the Whomping Willow.


	6. Dementor's stories

Chapter 6 Dementor's stories

AN:

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

***** SPECIAL AN*****

Sorry for the lateness, kinda busy with the world. Please be safe, stay isolated, if not for yourself, for others whose immunity cannot fight the pandemic.  
But it's not the end of the world either, so don't panic. Be responsible, be safe and be careful!

* * *

Ace sneaked back into the Great Hall, where all of the school was clustered. He notified Dumbledore and checked his watch. Shit, he has lost track of time, it was three in the morning.

"Ah, Portgas. Well?" started the director.

Ace looked at the Head Boy, then Snape, before turning his eyes back to Dumbledore.

"||_I'm listening, Taisho-san_||" said the last, speaking in Japanese.

Snape grinned his teeth and tried to enter Ace's mind, only to take a step back when hitting a natural shield given by the Haoshoku. Percy went back to making rounds, understanding that he was not allowed in confidence. Ace was after all, partially a teacher, he had more rights than most students.

"||Under the tree that hits people. He wanted to enter the tower to find a falsely dead traitor that is hiding as a rat pet for a red headed child. I do not know how long he will stay there. Oh, and the little moon in the savvy house felt him. I think that's everything i have to say. Except maybe that if I don't go to bed right now, I will have back to back narcolepsy attacks tomorrow...||"

Ace preferred description to using names, after all the Golden Trio was listening. They would not be understanding what was said in Japanese, but they would understand names, and ask questions.

"Thank you, Portgas. Haki is highly useful, there is no doubt in that."

"Sorry to have taken so long. He took me by speed in the lower levels of the park. Oyasumi nasai, sensei-tachi."

"Oyasumi nasai, Taisho" answered Snape, while Dumbledore smiled back at Ace for his answer.

With that, the two adults left to go a bit further.

"I know you are awake" mutely said Ace.

The three Gryffindors looked at him, caught in the act.

"Where are my things?"

Hermione pointed toward the empty sleeping bag on the left. Right by it's side, Ace's folded robe was on his shoes.

"Arigato..." yawned Ace.

He slipped inside the bag and closed his eyes.

"We'll talk later, I'm dead tired."

And he turned on his side to quickly fall asleep.

"What do you think he went out for?" asked Ron.

"He must have sensed something with Haki, and went to investigate. Even if he is a student here, he also has the status of professor. And he is a War Mage in training... It is expected for him to have this kind of initiative" whispered Hermione.

"He would have gone up to see the Fat Lady, would have seen Black, and went after him? But why was it so long then?" hissed Harry.

"He said he lost him in the park. He must have looked for him, unsuccessfully" suggested Ron.

"That is what he said in English, but he also mentioned something to Dumbledore right before, in Japanese." added Hermione. "Portgas is hiding many things. I would not assume that he wold us everything."

Harry hesitated to tell her about Ace's scar, but decided not to.

After all, how would a scar have any meaning in all those events?

Ace woke up in a jump on the metamorphose table, hearing Harry lose it.

"Wha's happen'ng?"

McGonagall had let him sleep since he had successfully executed today's spell, she therefore said no comment about him sleeping during class. Of course, she also also knew about his narcolepsy.

"It happens that I would like Mr Potter to cease his participation in Quiditch training in the evening" explained the professor. "But this young man is refusing, for idea to win the cup this year."

"Oh... What if I am there to watch him?" suggested Ace. "You know what I can do. I also doubt he would be happy to be followed everywhere like the teachers are currently doing. Seriously, you need to let him breath."

"This implies that you are also following him everywhere" remarked the woman.

"We have almost the same classes. And I follow my instinct if I feel any threat. Whether it be against Potter, me, or the last in class, if something is wrong, I act. But, unlike you, I do not forget that the one we protect has to have room to breath. What do you think Potter? Do you prefer a teacher in the stands, or a classmate?"

The choice was quickly made.

Harry could not get himself to feel threatened by Sirius Black. He also knew that Ace had plenty of ways to attack, or feel any threat, without being paranoid or glued to him.

"I prefer a classmate."

"The choice is done. Well, I am counting on you, Mr Portgas. But do not forget your own classes."

The weather was getting worse day by day.

On the sea, it would have been a truly shitty day to sail... Well... Ace was still pretty sure it could not be worse than Shin Sekai.

"War council?" smiled Ace when Harry exited the changing rooms.

"Change of opponent team. We are going to play against Hufflepuff. Slytherin found an excuse with an imaginary injury Malfoy sustained with a knife in potion class. They just don't want to play in this weather."

"If he continues like this, one of those imaginary accidents might become a real one. Weather will get worse, Potter. It is well known, higher we are, harsher is the wind. You're gonna have fun trying to see..."

"You have some knowledge about the weather?"

They took the path leading to the castle. Running in the rain to avoid becoming too wet.

"Navigation at sea" answered Ace while shaking his head like a wet dog.

Ace and Harry arrived at the same time in front of the Defence class's door, late.

"Wood?" guessed Ace.

"Yeah, you?"

"Botanic and Devil's net. Snape-sensei is giving the class."

"Sorry?!" choked Harry.

"The _voice_ of Okami-sensi is weak, indicating that he is sick. Snape-sensei's shows that he is in our classroom."

They stopped at the door and Ace knocked before entering.

Harry had learned something, like the rest of the class: how to not make Snape angry; you simply need to follow Ace's league.

Therefore, when ace politely bowed, he mimicked him.

"Two latecomers... this class started ten minutes ago. Do you have any excuse, Mr. Potter?" inquired Snape.

"My captain kept me after History of Magic class. Multiple professors could witness that Wood has been monopolizing me between classes for a while, in the hopes to give me a variety of advice to use against Hufflepuff. I am deeply sorry for my lateness."

Snape looked at him, his eyebrow raising.

"Since you seem to follow politeness courses from your comrade, I will allow you to go to your your desk, to _encourage_ such behaviour. Mr. Portgas, what is your excuse?"

"With all my respect, sensei, I had a narcolepsy attack while Sprout-sensei presented an interesting plant. She wanted to give me a scrammed version before I left to come to your class." said Ace while bowing.

"Close the door, take your seat."

Ace went ahead and took his place beside Neville, who he thanked for keeping him a seat.

And once he noticed what the class was about, he frowned.

Werewolves.

Snape got one of Ace's darkest looks.

But he did not say a word for the whole class.

When the bell rang, Ace got up, throwing Snape a look that meant everything. He understood what he did.

"A moment, Portgas."

Ace went back toward the desk, once Ron left after getting his detention.

"From the look you gave me, I deduce you were already aware. Do you think so much of yourself, to believe you are able to defend a whole school against a _werewolf_, or simply _naive_, which truly does not seem like you?" asked Snape.

"You could say _naive_. I know wince I met Lupin-sensei. Why do you think I call him _okami_? He knows I know. I already made sure nothing would happen to the students of this school."

"And how so?"

Ace put a feet on the desk, and pulled back his pant's leg, showing a silver blade attached to his calf.

"I spend the full moons in front of his office. He moves even one ear, and he knows he will get my blade in his heart, even tho I truly appreciate him. I met worse than werewolves. For now, I think he is quite an adequate teacher, and that you seem not to be able to move past old quarrels and to move forward..."

"Nice words, coming from someone that hates a man he never knew."

Ace moved his leg back on the ground and bent over the desk, looking Snape straight in the eyes.

"Without him, I would never have been condemned before my very birth. If he had not been who he was, or if my father had been someone else, people would not have thrown me rock without knowing me, for crimes he committed. One would not have judged me guilty for _him_."

Ace straightened up and left the room, slamming the door after him.

"Something went wrong?" asked Hermione.

"Hard discussion with sensei." was Ace's only answer.

Ace wanted to slam his head against the wooden bench when he felt Black's presence in the far corner. He had already understood, the time where he successfully went discretely, a night, to meet him, that Potter was his godson, but come on!

Harry brusquely flipped and went straight toward the gold snitch.

Something was distracting him, a feeling at the edge of his vision, like an imminent danger. Something was telling him he should not be there. That he was in danger.

But he wasn't listening, he needed to catch the snitch.

"Granger... Weasley, go see your teachers, they need to cancel the game" Ace ordered violently, feeling something.

"Why?" asked Ron.

"NOW!" barked the pirate.

Hermione jumped up and ran toward the teacher's tribune.

Ace got rid of his robes and jumped on the edge of the wooden benches, staying crunched down in a sparse balance. The _Geppou_ was not one of his strenght, but he had to do it.

He rushed as soon as the threat appeared.

Hitting the air with his feet, he successfully reached right under Potter before he fell, catching the boy.

Already, the dementors that he felt around the stadium were coming. He fought against the sounds of Marine Ford, holding the unconscious Gryffindor against him.

He fell, using the last of his strengths to use Haki against the Dementors.

When he touched the ground with Potter, Ace had also lost consciousness.

"Thank Merlin that the ground was beyond dampt. The mud muffled their fall."

"Me, I thought they died those two..."

"Portgas broke a few on that one."

"Even Harry's glasses are not broken."

Harry could heard voice mumbling around him, but he could not understand what they were saying. He had no idea where he was, nor how he got here, nor what he was doing before. All he knew, was that every square inch of his body was hurting him, like if he had been systematically hit every part of him.

"That was the scariest thing I have ever seen!" said a voice.

The scariest thing...

Dark hooded silhouettes...

The coldness...

The screams...

"YAMETTE!"

Harry's eyes quickly opened after hearing the scream. He was lying on one of the infirmary's beds. Gryffindor's team players, covered in mud from head to toes, surrounding him. Ron and Hermione were also there. They looked like they just took a swim in a pool.

They were all looking at something on the boy's left. He looked around for his glasses, putting them on his nose once he found them and looked that way as well.

He saw Snape, with Pomfrey, bent above someone.

"Even a Peace filter has no effect on his nightmares... bloody Dementors..." swore Pomfrey.

"His spirit is strong enough to keep the bad memories far away, but they created a breach, apparently. I am afraid we will need to use the Undead filter to insure he has rest."

"That is quite powerful, professor..."

"It would be the best for him."

"I will let you create it. I will spell the drapes, so his screams do not disturb the others."

Snape went away, letting Potter see who was on the bed.

Ace.

And he was screaming at the top of his lungs in Japanese, with tears running down his cheeks, fighting against something. But he could only see so long, the drapes been pulled back and the silence spell working their magic.

That's when everyone noticed Harry was awake.

"Harry!" exclaimed one of the twins, livid under all the mud covering his face. "How do you feel?"

"What happened?" asked Harry while straightening up.

"You fell. A good fifteen meters."

"Portgas jumped out of the bleachers to catch you. He managed to run on the air to catch up to you, then you both fell."

"We thought you were dead" said a trembling Alicia.

Hermione, with red eyes, emitted a little moan.

While he was told how the game went, Harry was looking toward Ace's bed.

"They are nightmares" Hermione told him. "Awful nightmares, from how agitated he is. Even using powerful immobilization spells, he still manages to struggle. I have never seen something that violent. Whatever what he is dreaming about... it must be hard."

The team left a few minutes later, leaving Harry alone with Ron and Hermione.

"Dumbledore was furious," explained Hermione with a small voice. "I had yet to see him in such a state. He rushed into the field while you were falling, using his want to slow you down before you both hit the ground. He then turned around on about half the Dementor that had come, the other half had already fled. I think Ace wanted to do like in the train, but that he didn't fully succeed. Then Dumbledore used something golden, and they immediately left the stadium... He was mad with rage that they breached Hogwarts' space at all... We heard him say so."

"Then, he laid you down on a stretcher, pronounced a magic formula" continued Ron, "and made you float up to the infirmary. Everyone thought that... for Ace, he started to have nightmares in the Great Hall, he fell of the stretcher. Hagrid had to hold him, he was struggling the whole way."

Harry was barely listening to the story. He was thinking of how much the Dementors affected him... The screaming voice that he had heard. He lifted his eyes and saw Ron and Hermione observing him with a quiet worry. He preferred to change topics.

"Did someone manage to get my Nimbus?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look.

"Well..." started Ron.

"What?" questioned the dark haired boy.

"When... When you fell, he was caught by the wind" answered Hermione hesitantly.

"And?"

"And he kinda fell on... on... Well Harry, I'm really sorry... he fell into the Whomping Willow."

Harry felt his insides contract. The Whomping Willow was the most violent tree, right at the middle of the park surrounding the school.

"And...?" repeated Harry, dreading the answer.

"You know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "He... he doesn't like that anything falls on him."

"Professor Flitwick brought your broom before you woke" said quietly Hermione.

Slowly, she took a bag at his feet, opening it to show a dozen pieces of shinny wood and even more brushwood. That was all that was left of his precious Nimbus 2000.

"_A poor old man came riding by_

_And we say so, and we hope so_

_A poor old man came riding by_

_Oh, poor old horse."_

Who was singing?

"_Says I, 'Old man, your horse will die.'_

_And we say so, and we hope so._

_Says I, 'Old man, your horse will die.'_

_Oh poor old horse_."

It was a girl. Harry had never heard her voice before.

It wasn't a Gryffindor, nor a girl in his year.

"_And if he dies we'll tan his skin_

_And we say so, and we hope so_.

_And if he don't we'll ride him again_

_Oh poor old horse."_

Harry opened his eyes and put his glasses on.

It was his last day at the infirmary. He looked around him, and noticed that Ace's drapes were open.

After a night under the Undead Filter, his nightmares had calmed down, allowing him to sleep peacefully. A blond girl was at his bedside, signing slowly.

Harry could remember seeing her once or twice, in Ginny's courses.

"_For one long month I rode him hard_.

_And we say so, and we hope so._

_For one long month we all rode him hard._

_Oh poor old horse."_

What was she signing?

Harry opened his eyes wide, seeing a furtive smile on Ace's lips.

"_But now your month is up, old Turk_.

_And we say so, and we hope so._

_Get up, you swine, and look for work_.

_Oh poor old horse."_

Ace's voice had joined his for this last verse, before slowly opening his eyes.

"To wake up with a shanty, you're trying to take me by the feelings, _Tsuki no Hime_?" asked Ace straightening up.

"I am far too young and innocent for you, Portgas-taishe" answered the little blond with a laugh.

Ace stretched and noticed Harry watching him.

"Heya Potter, nothing broken?"

"I should be the one asking you, you're the one who jumped out of the bleachers to save me" replied Harry.

The small bark made Ace and the girl laugh.

"I did worse" confessed the pirate.

"When can you leave, Portgas-taisho?" asked Luna.

"Sa na. Soon, I hope... I hate hospitals and nurses. Thank gods, Pomfrey-sensei has nothing on the demon that Cassandra is. Could you ask the chibi Weasley if she can take the book under my pillow, to occupy myself? I'm bored."

"No problem, Taisho. Have a nice day"

"Same to you, Tsuki no Hime."

And the girl left, hopping away.

"Who is she?" asked Harry.

"Luna Lovegood. She is a second year Ravenclaw. She's the girl I was talking about the other day, saying she was naturally gifted in Kenbunshoku. I learned about your broom. I'm sorry. If I had known, I would have tried to grab it."

"You prioritized my life. Thank you for saving me."

"You are starting to awake."

"Sorry?"

"You Haki. It's still nursing. I would never have thought it would happen so quickly, but apparently it is..."

"So, the feeling of danger I got during the game..."

"Taht was you Haki, warning you."

Harry was happy he was starting to get it. He was watching Ace trying to find a better position on his bed.

"Portgas?"

"Hmm...?"

"That girl..."

"Lovegood-chan? Yeah what?"

"The way you call her, what does it mean?"

"Tsuki no Hime?"

Harry nodded.

"Tsuki, it's the moon. Hime means princess. The 'no' means a belonging. In this case it means Moon's Princess. I think it fits her well. Her attention is not on the common things, but what is further down."

"Lovers?"

Ace laughed at loud, shaking his head.

"Nah, not her. I like someone, I cannot deny that... But that person is far way... really far away..."

He stretched his arm in front of him, like if he was trying to catch something. A happy memory, maybe.

"I learned that my nightmares got noticed" sighted Ace.

"They had to use an Undead Filter to calm you down."

Harry lowered his eyes.

"My mother... I hear the last words she said, when the Dementors are there" mumbled Harry.

"I had never heard the sound of my mother's voice. She is dead right after giving me my name. At least that's what they told me." confessed Ace.

He put his hand on his chest, where Harry knew his scar was, and continued:

"I relive the day I got this scar. I head my little brother, which I had just rescued by taking his place, begging me not to die."

"But you're not dead, he must have been happy."

"I am here thank to Dumbledore-sensei. And I will confide something to you, Potter. You see the tattoos of the chains?"

"Yes? What about them?"

"They are proof of the contract. They remind me that if I ever want to see my loved ones again, I must accomplish something, otherwise I will die, like I should already have. It is an exchange, I can live, and become stranger, to make sure I see my family again, and take back my life, where it stopped."

"And what do you need to do?"

"That is mine to know, and yours to one day, discover. Potter."

Luna came back a second later, with a book and a seashell with headphones.

"I thought you would like to hear a little happier shanty to get you out of your mood" she said, while putting the things beside his bed.

Ace raised an eyebrow, and put the headphones on his ears, before touching the top of the shell. He immediately smiled.

"_Drunken Sailor_? I approve your choice. Arigato, Tsuki no Hime."

"Do Itashimashta, Portgas-taisho! I need to go finish up a few homework."

And she left again, leaving Ace to his reading, and pulling a little the drapes to give him intimacy. Harry could still see his feet moving to a rhythmic cheer.

Soon after, the Quidditch team was back, with the two other members of the Golden Trio.

"I hope Snape won't be giving the class again, otherwise I will get myself called in sick" complained Ron.

"Ask the twins for one of their experimental products, they have some things to make it more believable." smiled Ace. "And no, Snape-sensei will not teach the class today."

Everyone was looking at him again, but it was the same since the beginning of the school year, he was starting to get used to it.

They entered the classroom and took their seats, while Lupin was finishing some things up.

"Heya, Neville. Sprout-sensei told me you could help me with something, I have to confess plants are really not my area" said Ace while sitting down.

"No problem" answered Neville. "We can talk about it after lunch, if you want."

Ace turned toward the class, which was complaining about Snape like never before.

"You look pretty bad, Okami-sensei..." Ace said, above the hullabaloo.

Lupin had a small laugh, and raised his hand to calm everyone, reassuring them that they didn't have to do the homework.

Ace raised his arm.

"Yes, Hiken?"

"Do you accept to correct it, if it's already finished?" he asked with an innocent smile.

"Why not, it would be extra point. If student volunteer to do more work, who am I to..."

Blam!

And one head on a desk.

"He already got his homework out" pointed Neville, holding the parchment toward the teacher who had raised an eyebrow in front of Ace's narcolepsy attack.

"Thank you. Anyone else?"

Hermione happily gave hers.

"Someone to take notes for your fellow until he comes back to himself?"

"I'll take care of it, professor." insured Hermione.

And the class on Pitiponk started.

Ace woke around halfway through, and took Hermione's duplicated notes.

Toward the end of class, while they were about to leave, Lupin called them, him and Harry.

"I won't hold you long, Hiken. I know you have a class to teach" assured Lupin. "I learned what happened during the game."

"Don't worry about my health, I am fine." said Ace while leaning on the desk and looking at Lupin putting away the Pitiponk's cage.

"Is there anything to do for you broom, Harry?"

"No, the Whomping Willow broke it in a thousand pieces" answered Harry.

Lupin sighted.

"They planted that tree the year I came to Hogwarts. At that time, the biggest game was to come close enough to touch it's trunk. By the end of the year, a boy by the name of Dave Goujon had lost an eye, and no one was allowed to come close again. Your broom had no chance to get out of it in one piece."

"But it is a great training for Haki" added Ace. "Dangerous, but useful."

"I will let you, the specialist, be the judge of that" slowly laughed Lupin.

"Did someone tell you what happened with the Dementors? Asked Harry.

"Yes" answered Lupin. "I think from the time it is, we could join Hiken on the walk to his class."

Ace shrugged. They left the room and Lupin closed the door after them.

"I think no one had yet to see Dumbledore this mad. Nor a student that suicidal."

"I am a _kamikaze_, it's in my genes. And my names." answered Ace.

"The Dementors are having a hard time staying put... They are mad they cannot enter the school. And I can guess they are the reason you fell?"

"Yes" confessed the young wizard.

He hesitated a second. And finally the question that was on the tip of his tongue slipped past his lisps.

"_Why?_ Why does they affect me like this? Is is because I am..."

"Oh, no. It has nothing to do with any weakness. Our young friend here would probably be able to move Hagrid back, and yet, he is as affected as you, if not more." immediately answered the teacher, like if he had read the boy's thoughts. "Dementors affect both more than other, because of the horrors of your past, which are usually not existing in others."

Ace's stomach tangled up.

A pale winter sun ray was seeping through the winter, shining it's light on an aged Lupin, and Ace's embittered expression looking at the time. Harry could almost feel the hurt.

"Dementors are part of the more disgusting creatures that are walking on the Earth. They infest the darkest, most awful places, festering on decay and despair surrounding them, emptying the very space around of any peace, hope and happiness. Even Muggles feel their presence, even tho they cannot see them. When we move to close to one, any feeling of pleasure, any happy memories disappear. If they are allowed time, Dementors feed of others, until those are reduced to something alike... maleficent beings, soulless. One that undergoes their power only keeps in its memory the worse moments of its life. And the worse times of your life, Harry, would be enough to make anyone fall of their broom. There is no shame in that. As for you, Hiken..."

Ace lifted his head toward him.

"From seeing your eyes alone, I can only guess that you are carry a heavy burden, a past that left deep scars. If you are, despite all of this, still up, where many would have fallen, you are strong."

"I was lucky enough to find a kid with a straw hat that pronounce the magic words that allow me to stay up" Ace smiled sadly. "Innocent words, maybe perplex at that time, but of deep value."

Harry sketched a small smile, than said, the throat constricted and looking at his feet:

"When they are close to me... I head Voldemort kill my mom."

Lupin started a move, like to take him by his shoulder, but stopped before he reached the boy.

Ace shrugged.

"I told you the day we met. Many are those that want my head. I grew up with this fact, and I fuck anyone that think I deserve it. Sorry for the swearing, Okami-sensei."

"I heard nothing" the professor answered back.

"Why did they come during the game" asked a worried Harry.

"They are starting to get hungry" announce Remus while they finally reached Ace's classroom. "Dumbledore refuses to allow them to enter the school. They have no human prey under their hands... I think they were unable to resist under such a crowd in the stadium. All that excitement, so many emotions... it's their ideas of a feast."

"Azkaban must be a horrible place" mumbled Harry under his breath.

"I read a little about it. A fortress on a tiny island offshore. With the Dementors, the walls and water are actually useless. Unable to have a single good thought, they get trapped in their own heads. Most of them become crazy within a few weeks. It reminds me of a similar place, minus Dementors." whispered Ace.

A chill creeping up his spine while thinking of Impel Down.

He gestures to the second years to get in, and went to put his robes and bag in a locker, before coming back toward the door.

"Quick run until I tell you to stop." Ordered Ace after welcoming everyone. "Lovegood, we already discussed about this."

The blond smiled, but went to run with her fellows.

Ace leaned in the door frame, keeping an eye on the runners.

"Despite this, Sirius Black succeeded in escaping" slowly started Harry, now that Ace had joined the conversation once again.

Lupin seemed uncomfortable.

"There is always a way to go past any security" Ace told him. "I was once told a story of a man that escaped alone an inviolable prison, buy cutting his own legs and putting two swords on instead."

"This must be quite a story..." grimaced Lupin. "What is the name of that criminal?"

"Kinjishi no Shiki. Shiki the Golden Lion, in your language."

"Dumbledore was able to push them back, therefore Sirius Black could have done the same..." insisted Harry.

"There are... some ways to fight against them" answered Lupin. "But there were only three left, from what was told to me."

"Three? I counted more than a _dozen._" exclaimed Ace.

"You made the rest of them run away, Hiken. But you need to know that, the more they are, the harder it is to resist them."

"What are the ways to fight against them?" asked Harry. "Could you teach them to us?"

"Oh, I'm in!" smiled Ace. "It's hard to get enough focus when one is also fighting to stay conscious and to fight against bad memories" he added. "One second."

Ace clapped his hands, and everyone stopped, relieved to not have received rocks during their run.

"Form pairs, and take a stick. Start the exercise."

Remus raised an eyebrow from what the students were doing, but since Dumbledore authorized this... and, they also had the parent's authorization as well.

"So, we were talking about defences against Dementors" Ace started once more.

"Fighting against Dementors is not a specialty of mine, young man, quite the opposite..."

"But if they come back during a next game, I need to be able to defend myself..."

Lupin looked at those two. They were determined. The adult seemed to hesitate, and finally yielded.

"All right, very well. I will try to help you. But it will need to wait until next trimester. I still have many things to do before the holidays. I chose an especially bad time to get sick."

"Domo arigato" bowed Ace.

"I will take that for a thank you."


	7. Talk to me about the Waters of your Home

Chapter 7 Talk to me about the Waters of your Home World.

AN:

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

Original A/N : Hello everyone! This is the day's chapter, and I have the feeling that from now on, my 'Mione is becoming OOC, so, sorry if that disturbs anyone ^^'.

* * *

Ace was his way to meet Luna in the Astronomy tower, since most of the students where in Hogsmeade, when he got kidnapped by Fred and George.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked the twins.

"We are waiting for someone. Even if you are a teacher, you're still a student, right?" said Fred with a cheshire smile.

Ace raised an eyebrow, while George called Harry over.

"What are you doing here?" questioned Harry when joining them.

They looked at Ace.

"I am not responsible!" assured the young man.

"We wanted to give you a little something funny before we go" answered Fred with a mysterious wink. "Come see".

The two third years were guided to an empty room, left of the one eyed Witch. George silently closed the door and turned around, a bright smile on his face.

"A small Christmas gift you both of you, slightly in advance" he said.

And in a magnificent move, Fred pulled something from his cape, and put it on the table.

Something was pulling at Ace.

"This is no ordinary parchment, is it?" he asked.

"This" answered George, "is the secret of our success."

"It hurts us to part with it" added Fred, "but we decided you would need it more than us... well... Portgas you do have Haki..."

Harry wasn't understanding much, and Ace's only expression was to raise an eyebrow.

"We already know it by heart anyway" concluded George. "We decided to pass it on. It is not quite that useful to us anymore. In addition, we would like to talk to you, Ace."

Second eyebrow raised.

"And how would this old piece of parchment be useful?" inquired Harry.

"This old piece of parchment?" exclaimed Fred, deeply offended. "Do explain it to them, dear George."

"Once upon a time... We were first years... young, carefree, innocent..."

"Yeah, sure, we almost believe you..." Ace cut short getting a small laugh from Harry.

"Let's say, more innocent than today" rectified George, "And we had a small issue with Filch".

"We had made a MudBall explode in a corridor, and for some mysterious reason, he did not appreciate it at all."

"He dragged us to his office, and threatened us with the usual means..."

"Detention and disembowelment? I already heard this with Haki. Thank Davy Jones, I never got caught yet."

"You, a troublemaker?" wondered Harry.

"Flint's pink hair, it's him." confirmed the twins.

"In any case, we noticed that on the cabinet's drawer it was written: 'Confiscated Dangerous Objects'"

"I see" smiled Ace

Harry had a smile just as big.

"What would you have done if the roles were reversed?" questioned Fred. "George diverted him with a new Mudball, while I opened the drawer and managed to pull out... this!"

"We doubt he knows how to use it" said the other twin. "But he probably suspected what it was, otherwise he would not have confiscated it."

"I assume you do know how to use this little jewel?" questioned Ace.

"Oh, yes..." answered Fred with a mocking smile. "This small wonder tought us more than all the professors of the school united... except you, Ace, but we're still struggling to grasp your teaching."

"You'll get there soon, you're on the edge. Very few students are."

"I think they are trying to play us..." commented Harry an eye one the old piece of paper.

"You think that?" groaned George.

He took out his wand and slightly touched the paper :

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good"

Immediately, small splashes of ink spread around the paper, slowly drawing what looked like a spider web. The line joined, crossed and stretched all around the parchment. Then large green ink rounded letters appeared on the very top:

_ Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs  
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers  
are proud to present  
THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

The paper was now an extremely detailed plan of the castle and surrounding park. The most amazing of it, were the tiny dots that could be seen moving around, here and there, with names in the tiniest letters. Amazed, Harry leaned over the map, not even noticing Ace's swears.

Tiny footsteps on the far corner could show Dumbledore walking back and forth in his office. Another was Mrs Norris, the concierge's cat, prowling around the first floor. Peeves, the poltergeist was making a mess in the Trophy Room. Harry notices two things.

One, the mat showed multiple secret passages he did no know about. Including a few that seemed to lead to Hogsmeade.

Another, when he found where they currently were...

"Something to say about that, 'Second Commander Gol D. Ace'?" asked Fred.

Second Commander?

Gol D. Ace?

Ace had leaned against the wall, arms folded, without emotions.

I will not say anything about the first part, even though I am letting you use my first name, I am still not trusting you enough to tell you of my past in it's fullness. AS for the Gol D. Ace, I refuse to be called as such. It is not the name that I chose. It might be the one that I got from my father, but that man never did anything for me. I am keeping Portgas, and therefore my mother's name. I owe her everything. That is all I will say about this.

Harry could not believe his ears... He knew Ace was inclined to secrecy... but between that and not even giving them his true name...

"You're wrong, Potter" denied Ace as if he read his thoughts. "I despise that name with every fiber of my being. I hate the man that gave me the name. Even if it is my _true_ name, it is not the one I use. I fought hard to be known under Portgas. Anyone that use the name Gol D to designate me will understand the 'Second Commander'. It will also be the last thing he or she will ever learn. And yes, this is a death threat."

Ace opened the door and left.

Harry looked at his tiny footprints walk up the Astronomy Tower's steps to merge with Luna Lovegood.

"Oups... Oh well I guess it needed to be said." commented Fred. "So, for the ways to reach Hogsmeade..."

While the Trio sat at the Three Broomstick, Harry decided to tell that what he had learned.

"You're not serious?" choked Ron, "He lied to us about his own name?"

Harry nodded.

"He did justify himself" tried to reason Hermione. "I think he is damned by some sort of reputation linked to that name and to get rid of it, he switched names... Furthermore if Portgas really is his mother's maiden name, then he did not really lie. It's like if you called yourself Harry Evans instead of Potter."

"I have never heard of anyone named Gol" Ron continued, "It's not a common name..."

"Portgas D., Ron" rectified Hermione. "I asked him what was the D. In his name, when I saw he at the library a while back, and he said it is an article of which he does not know the signification. An article attached to his last name."

"Sometimes, I feel like he is an alien" mumbled Harry while drinking his butterbeer. "He also has a huge scar in both his torso and back. Like if something went _through_ him."

"He always undresses with his curtains closed. But I don't get what a weird scar has to be disturbing. Well, except yours, for that we agree, but otherwise..." said the redhead.

"Do you remember the first shape the shapeshifter took, before it switched to his grandfather?"

"Yeah, it was a huge man, all red. Mean looking, choking his brother by the throat" murmured Hermione. "There were many other corpses, probably close friends."

"This man is the one that made his scar. It's right on the heart. That man is named Saka-something... I remember his name is Red Dog. He also mentioned something about Absolute Justice... but I did not understand that part at all."

"Why did you never talked about it?" asked Ron.

"I still had a minimum of trust in him, so, I kinda accepted to keep his secret... but now..."

"We should go see Dumbledore about it" suggested Hermione.

"But we would have to talk about the map" protested Harry.

"I am sure Ace already mentioned it to him..."

The two boys looked at each other and shook their heads. No, they would find the answers by themselves.

At the same time, the door to the tavern oppenned and a few of Hogwarts teachers, Hagrid and the minister of Magic came in, forcing Harry to hide under the table.

It was really late when Ace came back to Gryffindor's tower, absently playing around with his sake bottle, gift from a house elf that saw him depressed.

He knew Hermione was still awake, sitting on the fire's edge, her cat on her knees. From how her head angled toward him, she must have heard him.

"If I had known a welcome committee was waiting for me, I would have hurried up" commented Ace while letting himself fall in armchair.

"You drank" reproached the girl. "You should, not at your age."

"I am fairly resistant to alcohol, and it's not medium grade sake that will hurt me."

Ace raised his legs across the arm of the chair, and gulped down some more of his drink.

"Well, what do you want Granger?"

Hermione sighted and took the bottle away, before emptying it at the window and putting it back on the table. All of that hearing Ace's protests. She than came back to sit in another armchair, this one slightly closer to where he was. He could see he from his upside down position.

"Usul, talk to me of your home world."

Ace blinked slowly and said:

"I guess it's a quote, but I am sorry I do not know the reference."

Hermione had a small smile and told him:

"It's from one of numerous movie interpretation of a sci-fi book. A classic. In the book, the quote the closest from it is: 'Talk to me about the waters of you home world, Usul'".

Ace also had a smile, understanding the signification and deeper message of the citation.

"The last one is better... but some confidence cannot be shared."

"I swear."

"Potter already gave him mine, but I know he chit chatted."

"I will give him an edited version. What intrigues him, and Ron, is your name. The rest... what they don't know cannot hurt them, no?"

Ace's smile spread larger and he closed his eyes.

"Imagine that instead of the equator, there is this massive high red rock mountain chain that goes by the name Red Line. It basically splits the world into two oceans. Imagine that perpendicular to said Red Line, there is a sea, an ocean, mysterious and indomitable. That's the Grand Line.

"That world seems quite intriguing" smiled Hermione, putting herself in a comfortable position, a hand against her cheek.

"It's a beautiful world. It creates four oceans, reunited around the Grand Line. North, West, East and South Blue. I am born under South Blue, on Baterilla island, from Portgas D. Rouge. She is dead while trying to postpone my birth into this world, with the idea to protect me. I am born eleven month late. As soon as I was named, my adoptive grandfather, Monkey D. Garp, one of the Marine's heroes, took me under his wing, and under everyone's gaze, up to his birth island, Dawn, in East Blue."

"Why without knowing? And why did your mother wish so hard to protect you?"

"Because I do not deserve to live"

That answer shocked Hermione.

"It is one of the first things I learned. That, and the fact that I am the brat of a demon, a monster" sighted Ace.

He switched position, his arms over his closed eyes.

"There are two opposing forces on my world. The marines, which are supposed to represent justice and the laws. The other is the Pirates, and that's without including the Revolutionaries. Within the pirates, you can find... well everything... from the filthiest scums, people with the purest dreams, and those drunk for adventures and freedom.

Gol D. Rogers, my father, (he cringed while saying those words) was from the last group. A fearsome man, a bit crazy, that did what he wanted, as long as there was an adventure and food. Even tho other man from the same time, like Shiki, have done worse than him, Roger was seen like the worse demon for one simple thing... he succeeded where all had failed... To conquer the Grand Line, and discover the legendary island at it's end... Raftell.

It is said that on over there, a humongous treasure awaits... the One Piece. What it is?... who knows... He died fifteen months before my birth, taking the mystery to his tomb.

However, he is dead as the Kaizoky Ou. Pirate's King. When he was brought to Loguetown, in East Blue, his original island, to be executed, there was the biggest crowd. Pirates, to assist to the death of their Emporor; civilians, wishing for blood and vengeance... simple curiosity..."

A pitifully sad smile briefly appeared on Ace's lips.

"One of the few things I admire in him, is the way he left the living world. With a smile, without the smallest hint of fear, defiant to the whole universe one last time. His last words did the opposite of what the authorities wished with his death. By publicly executing the Pirate's King, they wanted to end the Pirate's era but Roger gave birth to the Golden Age..."

"And you in all of this?" inquired the young girl.

"I grew up hidden from the world, with an old mountain bandit's gang that made a deal with Garp. She watched me, she escaped prison. We never clicked the two of us. When she drank a glass to many, she wouldn't stop saying I was the Devil's child, and that if she wasn't terrified of Garp, she would have given me to the marines. I grew up with that idea. In fact, I think the despise and hatred I have for Roger, was thought to me, at least partially. Hearing people spit on his name... even if it hurt, I ended up doing it as well. Then, around nine years old, I started to ask question to complete strangers, in the next village. 'What would it be, if Gol D. Roger had a son?'. What do you think was the usual answer?"

"Horrible things that are just not true"

Ace was frozen in surprise when Hermione hugged him, crying.

"I hate crybabies. I punched my smaller brother for this simple reason, even tho it never solved anything..." announced Ace.

Hermione had a small laugh, and pulled back to dry her tears. Allowing Ace to straighten up as well.

"Ace... whatever people say, you deserve to live" Hermione told him.

"I will ignore the non authorized usage of my first name to thank you for those words. What will you tell them? After all, I did not lie. I use the identity that I thought tooth and nail for, to never be compared to my father."

I will tell them that you were often hunted down because of your name, and your father, and therefore you use your mother's to be left alone. It's not that far off. Talk to me more about your world... and you still have to explain the 'Second Commander'."

Ace got up and gave her a cheesy smile.

"That story is for another day, Hermione. Oyasumi. Oh and on last thing. When I should have been born, the Marines went and tracked down every possible descendant of Roger's. My mother barely managed to split through, where many women lost their lives from the smallest doubt."

And with that he disappeared in the boy's dormitory.

"You don't look so good" commented Hermione while looking at Harry. "Come on, tell me everything, I feel quite attentive since yesterday evening."

"Why?" wondered Ron.

"Because, in opposition to you two, I took the liberty to talk with Ace. Since you did not want to go speak to Dumbledore, I decided to talk to the one directly concerned and the answer was sad, but easy to understand."

"Which answer?" inquired Harry, jumping on the occasion to turn the conversation from Black and the newfound godfather relationship.

"Apparently Ace's father is a known criminal where he comes from. Yes, he is dead, but he has left a mark so deep that the authorities went so far as to search for possible woman and offspring. They wanted to stop any possible descendants. Many people died because of that, but Ace's mother somehow escaped it. She gave her life so he could live. He has so much love for her, and for what she did, that he decided to use her name instead of his father's. He was hunted for his father's faults. He is simply protecting himself by using another name. Nothing more." she concluded.

"And for the 'Second Commander'?" inquired Ron.

"He told me, with a bright smile, that it would be a story for another day."

Harry let himself fall in the armchair. Suddenly, his issues with Black's betrayal seemed so little. His classmate was living with such a burden on his back... and yet..."

"As for you, Harry James Potter, I suspect that you must be upset by what we heard yesterday, but that does not mean you should do something stupid."

"Such as?" asked Harry.

"Like trying to find Black" answered Ron.

Harry was fairly sure he rehearsed the conversation previously, while he was sleeping. But preferred to keep silent.

"You won't do that, right Harry?" insisted Hermione.

"Black is not worth your death" Ron told him.

They could not understand.

Harry opened his mouth, but was cut by Ace:

"What if we took history upside down?"

He just entered, a book under his arm, in a simple short sleeved yellow shirt and black cargo pants.

"Oh, and by the way, can someone explain to be the purpose of all the weird stuff they are doing to the castle, and what the hell are the holidays?" he asked, putting his things on the table.

"Christmas" answered Harry, his voice weary of the interruption.

"And... what is it?"

"You don't know Christmas?" Chocked Ron.

"Am I supposed to?" was Ace's reply, raising his usual eyebrow.

"Ron, Christmas is a Christian holiday" sighted Hermione. "By doing some research, I saw that it is only a minor religion in Japan, way behind Buddhism. For them, Christmas is a day like any other, most likely behind even Valentin Day. If Ace grew up with a Japanese culture, or one similar to it, it is normal for him not to know Christmas."

"I'm an Atheist, Hermione."

"Well it's all the same anyway, Christmas has no meaning for you. Today, Christmas, for many is just about giving gifts."

"There's birthdays to do that..."

"Talking about birthdays..."

Hermione's smile made Ace take a step back.

"We'll talk about that late. So, as I was saying, what if we take history upside down."

He spread papers throughout the table, and leaned on it with a ferocious smile.

"I did some research about this whole Black mess... and I noticed two or three things, and the first alone should already take or attention."

"What is it? Other than he was the Secret Keeper for my parents, and that if he wouldn't have said anything, they would still be there? Asked Harry, coming closer with his fists in his pockets.

"Magic Society has a few ways to learn the truth. We have things like the Veritaserum, or even _Legilimency_ . We can study people's memories... and I'm skipping many."

"All this for what?" asked the redhead.

"Sirius Black, Third of the name, and only Black to ever have been in Gryffindor, had no process. It seems quite obvious that no one tried to look further and they just threw him in prison. The day he was arrested, no one even tried to look if he was the one that did the spell which caused Pettigrew's and the Muggles's deaths... Am I the only one that find that term pejorative?"

"No, but it's far from the worse..." sighed Hermione.

Ace made a face.

"Do you mean Pettigrew would have committed suicide? Sneered Ron.

"No. Before I expose my theory, I have a few questions... Do you know how long it took, from when Potter's parents hid away, until they were found?"

"From what we heard, a few month... Why?" asked Harry that could not see where Ace was trying to go with all this.

"Month... why wait so long to deliver them to Voldy? Am I the only one that finds that shocking?"

"You're not wrong... but he was the Secret Keeper. Maybe a spell was used against him..." mumbled Hermione, thoughtful.

"That is a possibility worth noting... but I have another idea... what if, and i do mean if, Black was only a front? To be considered to be Secret Keeper he must have been important to the Potters, right?"

Ace was trying to turn his words in a way not to show that he knew more than the other, but to use the information the other's had on this, and lead them to where he wanted them to reach.

"He's my godfather" mumbled Harry. "My father's best friend."

"So, everyone was expecting him to be the Secret Keeper. What if, for this very reason, they chose Pettigrew?"

"From what we heard, he wasn't intimidating" commented Ron.

"We never distrust those that don't draw attention... Think about this... for a while, Black was the Secret Keeper. Then, realizing he was the obvious choice, he could have come to the Potters and inquired about someone else for it... another friend..."

"Pettigrew, but..." started Hermione.

Ace cut her off by raising his hand.

"Let's still assume, that Pettigrew is a double agent. Once he becomes the Secret Keeper, he goes see Voldy, and delivers the Potter to him. Sadly, the greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaat Harry James Potter makes everything fuck up. From his tall one year old.."

Ace said this with so much irony and sarcasm, that Harry could not do anything else than laugh a little. Especially from the Cheshire smile the young man bore.

"As for your grandfather, he should have been the one to get you, but, you are, if I'm right, living with your good-for-nothing maternal aunt and uncle, Potter. Do you know what happened for that?"

"Apparently, Hagrid found me in the rumbles. Black wanted to get me back, but Dumbledore wished for me to go to my uncle and aunt's. He ended up folding and left his bike for Hagrid." answered Harry.

"Since he could not take care of you, it seems like Black fell back on the second most important thing for him, revenge. He must have found Pettigrew, which was trying to get away. A little comedy to get attention, a few spells, and pouf! Black is found with twelve corpses and a little finger.

"So, Black would have killed Pettigrew as revenge for the betrayal of Harry's parents" Hermione thought out loud.

"I'll do you one better, what if he was still alive?"

"We found his finger, Portgas." Snarled Ron like he was aloof.

"Exactly, just a finger. An intriguing little finger. I pulled a few strings and got a picture of said finger. Wanna see?"

"You're gore!.." commented the redhead as Ace showed them the picture.

"What is interesting in this... it's the end of what is normally attached on a hand. I read the report, it looked like a bomb went off. But, this finger looks like it was cut off by a sharp tool, or spell. If it was snatched off the corpse during the explosion, the flesh would not look this neat."

"Have you seen many sectioned members?" asked Harry, a bit sick.

"More than you would think, Potter. And that's also a story for yet another day, Hermione."

Hermione threw her arms up as to say 'I haven't said anything, yet'.

"So your idea is this is a plot against Black, and to fake Pettigrew's death?" asked Harry.

"Not really. I think Pettigrew got scared by seeing Black on his heels. He must have took flight with the idea to pass for dead, and trying to make sure Black would not find him back. He probably improvised on the spot."

"And where would he be now?" inquired Ron. "Especially how could he have escaped the crime scene, with all the aurors that were around?"

"Since we found the want, and strangely enough, no one though to examine it to find the last spell it cast.. either he is really quick to move through a crowd, or he has some way to become invisible... or maybe he had enough time to cast a chameleon spell... I have another theory, but I would need to find someone that was close to him during his school years."

"What idea?" asked Hermione.

"Animagus. Pettigrew might be one."

"Ace, there is a log in which all animagus must be registered, including which animal they are."

"Oh? Really? Well crap, I guess I'll have to register..." grunted Ace. "Hermione... it is said that no one should ignore the law, but it is quite easy to forget it. A villainous little secret. An ace in the sleeve at a poker game... Nothing tells us that Pettigrew is NOT an unregistered animagus."

"That's a lot of information at once..." commented Ron.

"I've been working on it for a while."

"Just a sec, Ace... You said you will have to register? You don't mean that you..." started Hermione.

"That I am...?" innocently smiled the pirate.

Harry opened his eyes wide.

"Seriously? You're one?"

"I learn really quickly and McGonagall-sensei was even impressed."

"But you can't register, Ace! They would look into your past, to know where you're from and..." panicked the girl.

"McGonagall-sensei said she would keep the secret to her death. I just got it. It's the reason why I got back late yesterday night. Anyway... Do you think my theory is wise?"

Harry nodded his head.

"I rather prefer your theory to that of the general public" Harry told him. "But it won't be possible to tell until we know if Pettigrew is alive, nor if he is an animagus."

He felt better... a lot better about it.

"And Black is a fugitive... otherwise, what do you transform into?" asked Ron.

Ace was about to answer when he straightened up and turned his eyes toward the window.

"Hagrid-sensei is not doing well. I think we should go see him."

"How do you know those kind of things?" asked Hermione. "Oh forget it... Haki?"

"You just answered your own question Hermione." he smiled back.

The trio swaddled up in their capes, while Ace went to get his coat. Harry joked that he was looking like a Vampire Hunter, to which Ace answered that it was always a lot classier than the stupid school cape and uniform.

He also precised that if, in a bad luck steak, he caught a cold, he would never be able to bear the name Hiken again, whatever the meaning of it was.

Once if front of the hut, which looked close to a spice bread construction, complete with white icing sugar, they knocked at the door. But no one answered.

"He didn't go out, right?" wondered Hermione freezing under her cape.

"Iie, he is inside." answered Ace. "Want to try, Potter?"

Harry came up to the door and knocked, calling Hagrid for him to get open the door.

He seemed to have been crying.

"Have you heard?" he crying, jumping into Harry's arms.

Which was not easy, since his height is more than the double of an average man's. About to collapse, he was rescued by Ace, who put Hagrid back on his feet without the slightest issue. He pulled him back inside and got him in a chair.

"You're strong!" exclaimed Ron.

"Hermione, I don't want to be unpleasant..." started Ace while turning toward the young girl.

"I got it, yes." she assured him, taking a seat beside Hagrid.

Ace went to sit in the corner of the hut, and inclined his hat on his face, hiding it, but from the way his fingers were tapping with irritation on his arm, it was obvious that he had no patience for any tears.

"Hagrid, what happened?" asked Hermione.

Harry noticed the official looking envelope on the table.

"What is this?"

Hagrid's sobs became even noisier... Harry took the paper and read it out loud.

Ace lost his annoyance, startled.

"What the hell is this?!" he roared, pissed. "There wasn't anyone hurt, I'm the one that got the hit and I never filed a complain, and that k'ssou yarro dared to complain, under pretense that his son was put in a danger!?"

Ace walked toward the hippogriff, that he had felt against the hut, and removed his hat to bow before him. As soon as his it bowed back, the boy crouched beside Buck and started to pet the feathers.

"We'll find a way to pull you out of this shit, Buck. Yakusoku."

"We're going to have to prepare some pretty solid arguments for his defence, Hagrid." said Hermione, a compassionate hand on his enormous arm. "You'll succeed in proving Buck is innocent, I'm sure of it."

"But it's useless!" cried Hagrid. "All of these brats at the Commission are under Lucius Malfoy! They are afraid of him! And if I can't convince them... Buck will..."

"Squick, yeah, we get it... stop sobbing, nothing is going to happen." sighed Ace while getting up.

He went to stand in front of Hagrid and cracked his knuckles.

Bam!

"Ouch!"

Ace looked, satisfied, an enormous egg on the crybaby's head, and his hand lost it's black colour.

"You're a man! You have no reason to cry since nothing is set yet! Get yourself back together, k'ssou! What the hell do you think Buck is thinking, seeing you like this! Get up already! Fight! Prove them they are wrong! It's not by staying down and crying that it will change anything!"

"Ace!" said Hermione, "No need to be so violent!"

"Ace is right" approved Harry, "even if your method is a bit... brutal. Staying here and crying won't change anything. You must not let yourself be put down, Hagrid. Dumbledore tried to do something?"

"He already did all he could for me" grumbled Hagrid, massaging his skull. "He is busy enough by keeping Dementors from entering, and that is without considering Sirius Black that is lurking around..."

The for young students shared a look, but said nothing about the comment on Black.

"Hermione, are you thinking what I am?" asked Ace.

"We do his defence. We are all witnesses in this, so we're going to try it that way. I think I read something similar once, and the animal was proven innocent."

"We need to get all documentation together about it, whether the hippogriff is proven innocent or not. We will know all the errors and good arguments. However, if the judge and jury are under Lucius, it's probably going to end badly. In that case, I will personally make sure that Buck will be able to escape, right under their nose, so nothing can be pinned on you."

Hagrid nodded.

"Thank you for you support. Oh mu, you have a pretty great strength, kid!"

"If you think so, remind me never to let you meet my Jiji... his idea of a love tap is... Well to compare, mine is more of a mosquito."

"Do you want tea?" asked Ron, reassured to see that Hagrid had stopped crying. "It's what my mom does when we don't feel good."

Hagrid accepted and blew his nose in a tissue so big, it could be tablecloth."

"I don't feel quite like myself right now," confessed Hagrid, petting his dog's head. "I am worrying about Buck and, no one is interested in my classes."

"You lost your swing after a single incident due to the student's inattention, while you were giving instructions. You are a good teacher, you know many things, but you need to get a hold of yourself. After that, those... bugs? it's not really interesting. Are they dead?"

"How do you know they are dead?" asked Hagrid.

"Haki" answered the three, combined with a small smile from Ace.

"It is quite useful, for this kind of thing..."

"That's how I 'foresee' Buck's accident. That's not the only thing, right?"

"The dementors. They are getting me sick." Hagrid answered, shivering a little. "I have to go by them every time I go drink at the pub. I feel like I am back in Azkaban."

He stopped and drank his tea.

The trio looked at each other, holding their breath. They had never heard him talk about the prison.

Ace lowered his hat and slipped out of the hut.

Azkaban always took him down to Impel Down. And Impel Down to Marine Ford.


	8. First Winter in Hogwarts

Chapter 8 First Winter in Hogwarts

AN:

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

* * *

Gifts...

Ace was staring, without understanding, at the packages.

"Which day are we?" he asked.

"The twenty-fifth," Ron answered, the voice dripping with obviousness.

Ace counted something on his hand.

"A week early... your celebration is just so weird."

Ron openly made fun of him.

"I know it's weird to get gifts at Christmas, when one is not used to it. I was the same when before I got here... But why would the gifts be early?"

"Oh, noooothing..."

Ace innocently started to whistle under the suspicious look his two friends were throwing at him.

"All right, open you gifts!" ordered Ron.

"English people are so weird..." commented Ace while setting himself on the side of his bed.

He took the first package, and read the card on top of it.

"'Do not open before January First.' well, if you say so, I'll do it, Tsuki no Hime" Ace commented.

He put the gift back down on the middle and took another one.

"Oh oh..." Ron started.

Ace opened the package and found an orange woolen sweater with a big A knitted on it.

"Sorry, the twins must have talked about you" said the red hair, slightly embarrassed. "My mother make it."

Harry had one as well, deep red with the Gryffindor's lion.

Ace smiled and folded the clothe.

"Could you give her a word on my behalf, Weasley?" asked ace, tasting a few bites on the cake coming with it.

"No worries, but I think we should use Hedwig, Harry's owl."

"Go ahead, I'll also add a thank you note." Harry added.

Ace grabbed another package and opened it. A book.

Shantys and most famous sea songs and their story.

"Hermione got you that gift, there's only her that would give a book.

"No, not only her" contradicted Harry.

Ace grabbed the next gift and found a second book.

"Oh, I know this story... Alice in the Wonderlands. Thank you, Potter. And sorry, I will remember next year, for the gifts..." said Ace, embarrassed.

"Now worries" assured him Harry.

Ace took the next one and found a truly beautiful blade in his hands.

"I asked Fred and George to help mo for this... we don't have a lot of money to buy something of good quality, and since you seem to like weapons..." said Ron.

Ace looked the balance and sharpness.

"She is a beauty, thank you."

Ace took the last package at the same time as Harry was opening his. The pirate stayed perplex in front of his new discovery. He opened the letter and smiled, realizing what it was. Something to be a diversion and instant obscurity, product current under test... interesting.

Thank you twins!

A stupor exclamation pulled Ace out of his bad prank ideas.

Harry had just opened his last gift, showing a shiny new broom.

"This is... incredible..." said the young boy in a hoarse voice.

"What exactly is so incredible about it? Other than the fact that it's a broom?" asked Ace, playing on perplexity.

"It's a Firebolt!" was Ron's only answer.

It was exactly the same as the one Harry had stared at every day on the Diagon Alley. Grabbing it by the shimmering handle, he felt it shiver under his fingers and the broom stayed in the air, at the perfect height to jump on it.

While Ron and Harry tried to figure out who had sent it, Ace was remembering how he got a hold of the broom.

*_Flash-Back_*

Ace had just left Luna, a little earlier than he would have, and still in a despicable mood, while the others were at the Hogsmeade outing. This had not disturbed the young Ravenclaw who had gone to feed the Thestrals. The pirate had tried to catch Scabbers, but the rat must have felt the young man was a bit too confident, and went to hide away in a mouse hole. Saddened, he had gone to the Shriekering Shack, to give a bit of company to Sirius Black, sharing a sake bottle that Ace had grabbed in the kitchen.

That is when Sirius showed desire to giving a gift to his nephew. Ace volunteered his help in this endeavor. They had decided on a broom, Crookshanks had somehow found the paper to order it. Sirius had filled what was needed in the form, before they apparated in Diagon Alley. There Sirius, as a dog, waited besides Gringotts, while Ace went to specialized Quidditch equipment shop, the rejuvenating rune bracelets in his pocket let his avoid any attention on him, since he now look like a twenty year old rather than a student.

Once the gift bought, Ace went back out to find a hidden corner and put the runes back on. He then joined Sirius, who had also hidden himself, but to take back his human shape and apparate again in Hogsmeade.

Ace had gone back to the castle and asked the house elves' help to put it at Potter's bed for Christmas.

**End Flash-back**

"What do you mean, 'he wasn't in Hogwarts'?" exclaimed Harry. "He was sick when there was the game."

"Well he wasn't in the infirmary" answered Ron. "I know because it is when Snape made me clean the bedpans in detention, you remember?"

Harry frowned.

"Lupin does not have the means to buy this kind of broom."

"And he was in his own office. May I remind you that if us, we have a dormitory, the teachers have their own room, therefore, no worry about contamination or anything the likes" pointed Ace. "Ohayo, Hermione"

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Ace" welcomed Hermione joining them in her bed robe, Crookshanks in her arms. "What are you planning? I heard you all laugh like madman?"

The small tiger had a golden garland knotted around his neck and seem in a specially vicious mood.

"Other than that they are mocking me for not understanding this strange celebration...?" asked Ace.

Ron cut him short, while hurrying to put his pet rat to safety, in his pj's pocket.

"Don't bring your cat here!" he ordered.

Hermione was not listening to him, and had dropped her cat on Seamus's empty bed to look at the broom.

"Harry, who sent you that!?"

"No idea, there is no card."

He was surprised that Hermione was neither excited nor intrigued. She was slightly bitting her lip, and seemed frightened.

"I know what you're worrying about, but this broom is as normal as anything magical can be" Ace reassured her.

"Haki?" she asked.

"At a level you will never be able to achieve. I know it is alright. I can ask Dumbledore to check it out as well, to reassure you, but Potter is not at risk. I hear the intentions of the buyer from listening to the broom. The person who bought it has affection for Potter, and wants his happiness. Not his death."

Hermione seemed mildly reassured.

"Potter, would you accept the professor to look at it, to reassure your friend?" ask Ace turning toward Harry.

Before Harry could give his answer, Crookshanks jumped on Ron.

"GET IT OUT OF HERE!" he howled while the cat was trying to shred his pyjama and Scabbers was trying to get away by jumping over his master's shoulder.

Ace grabbed the cat, avoiding Ron who was about to kick it. His foot continued it's path until it his Harry's suitcase, making it fall and open. Ron started to jump, muffling a painful cry.

A sharp whistling blew into the dormitory, the cat scattered, startled by the noise. Harry's sneakoscope had fell from the case, and was spinning wildly on the floor.

"Oh, I had forgotten about this!" exclaimed Harry, while grabbing the annoying object

Ace let the cat out the door, before checking up on Ron's bashed toes.

"Nothing bad, you'll be alright. It will just get all shades of pretty colour, but nothing broken" sighted Ace, while Potter put his things away.

He casted a dark look toward Scabbers, in it's master's hands, still trembling. He looked skeletal.

"He will be better after that fur ball let's him alone" grumbled Ron.

"You have had him for a long time?" asked Ace frowning.

"About then years... We took good care of him."

"He lived quite a long time, for a simple field rat... it's rather suspicious."

Ron burst out laughing.

"You think Harry's anonymous broom is normal, but Scabbers isn't? You're suspicious of him?! You're not normal dude!"

"Always beware of things that don't draw attention. My best friend is dead because of that kind of men. Potter, you will show the broom to Dumbledore, even if it's only to reassure Hermione? She is just worried about you after all."

Harry nodded..

"If it will give you a peace of mind, I will do it."

"Shall we go now, or later?"

"I suggest we go later, that will allow Ronald Weasley time to calm down and stop to pester your my cat," said Hermione while getting up. By the way, Ace, did you like my gift? I asked my parents to send it to me when they told me they were spending a weekend by a port."

"I am deeply touched."

"How can one feel touched by a book" grumbled Hermione.

Ace took the two gifted books, and held them in front of the red head.

" 'Alice in the Wonderlands' is the only movie Makino-nee-san told me when I was a kid, which as the demon's son, made me feel almost normal. As for the Shantys, they are the sounds sang by old ship's crews, which remind me of everyone I dearly hope to see once again once Hogwarts is done. They are border-less memories from some of the best times of my life. Therefore yes, I am deeply touched by books. Especially that I almost never got gifts. Once you're done being this stupid, we'll see each other at the next meal. I'm going to take a shower."

Without further ado, Ace took his things and left.

"Apparently I am not the only one exasperated by you this morning, Ron..." commented Hermione before leaving as well.

"What did I do?" stuttered Ron.

"Nothing, it's just Ace's first Christmas and you criticize his gifts..." sighted Harry.

.

.

Almost an hour later, the golden trio and the pirate were standing in front of Dumbledore's door, which let them enter.

"Merry Christmas, young ones. You are early, Ace. I did not expect you before the first" said the director, while they entered.

"I am not here fore the letters, I know you will give them to me the day you receive them, sensei" assured Ace. "This is more about a Christmas gift that perturbed Hermione."

"Oh and what is it?"

Harry moved forward, and showed the gift.

"I received this, but there was no sender" explained the young boy.

"Even if Ace's hypothesis suggesting Sirius' innocence is making me wonder, one can never be too careful, director... So I was wondering..." said the girl.

"I understand, Miss Granger. Your worry for you friend is understandable. As for young Portgas-kun's theory, I share the same one. I know Black enough to think him innocent. But even with the pressure I put on the Minister, he always denied a trial." said Dumbledore. "May I see, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes sir"

"Don't worry, if the broom is not dangerous, you will get it back in the same state, otherwise, I will personally take care to replace it..."

Dumbledore shared a discrete look with Ace, who gave him a wink, as Harry was put the broom on the Director's desk.

"I think this would be a good time to go eat breakfast. I have a few things I need to take care of before, I will therefore see you after.

The students left.

"What a shame, such a nice broom..." mumbled Ron.

"Hermione is right to mistrustful. A broom, you can replace it. Not a life" Ace told him. "Assuming the broom is some of Voldy's pet, you would have to explain to your mother, your brothers, and everyone else why we need to be at a classmate's funeral, because it was such a nice broom? I think that maybe the broom is harmless, but taking a few precaution never hurt anyone, especially if it can avoid a tragic accident."

"Portgas... you talk like an adult sometimes..." pointed Harry.

"I raised my otouto on my own, in a jungle infested by giant savage beasts. I guess it's linked."

"Otouto?" asked Ron.

"Little brother. Luffy is my little brother by adoption."

"Ohhh..."

They did a small detour by the entry to see the snow covered scenery, before going to eat.

They discovered that the tables had all being pushed against the walls, leaving a single one, in the middle. There was a dozen cutlery: Dumbledore, who had just sat, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout and Flitwick, as well as Filch who had left his usual maroon vest for an old looking ceremonial jacket with a little mold on it.. There were two other students, first years who seemed especially uncomfortable.

"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore seeing the young Gryffindors getting closer. "Since we are so few staying in the castle, it would have been quite sad to have so many tables. Please, take your seat!"

"Five more seats, and I would have thought myself with the Taisho, like the old time." Mumbled Ace, while taking a seat at the end of the table. Hermione on one side, and Harry on the other, splitting by default Ace and Ron.

"Surprise firecracker!" joyfully announce Dumbledore, holding the extremity of a giant silver firecracker to Snape.

"I can always kill you to avoid you the humiliation" suggested Ace, seeing the dark look the Potion Master was giving.

"Thank you, but no. Once dead, I would not have any student to torture..." grumbled Snape while pulling the firecracker against his convictions.

It exploded and a weird pointed had, with a stuffed vulture, appeared.

Harry and Ron exchanged a smile, while Snape pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, which immediately put it on.

"Dig in!" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling.

The meal appeared on the table, and beside Ace...

"Yokatta!" smiled Ace while serving himself a large part of fried noodles.

The house elves had given him a wonderful gift. He really had to find something to thank them.

While everyone was filling up their plates, the Great Hall's door opened and professor Trelawney entered, sliding between them like she was on wheels. Her sparkly green robe made her look like a giant firefly.

"Kono tonbo wa dare?" asked Ace, perplex, his chopsticks in his hands.

"This, young man, is professor Trelawney." answered Dumbledore, trying not to laugh from the use of the name.

"Soka. Itadakimasu..."

He then solely focused on his food, uninterested by anything else that might be happening around.

"Sibyl! What a wonderful surprise!" exclaimed Dumbledore while getting up.

"I looked into my crystal ball, Director" she started, in a mysterious voice, "and to my amazement, I saw myself leave my solitary meal to join you all. Who would I be to oppose myself to destiny's decisions? I hurried to get down of my own tower, please do forget my lateness"

"You are most forgiven" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "I will bring a chair."

He pulled his wand and a chair slowly floated through the room, to reside between Snape and McGonagall. But Trelawney did not move. Her huge eyes roaming the table, when suddenly she uttered a small cry.

"She must have seen how you are eating, Ace" smiled Hermione while looking at her neighbour, wolfing down his food like he had not eaten any for a long long time.

Ace shrugged.

"I would never be able to, Mr the Director" she said. "If I sit, we will be thirteen at the table! And it would be an ill sign! Never forget that when there are thirteen people around a table, the first one that gets up will be the first to die!"

"Well, we will take the risk, Sibyl" said professor McGonagall seemingly annoyed. "Please do sit, while there is still some food to eat."

Ace froze, his hand halfway toward the food. He slowly backed away, and put his chopsticks down in favour of his glass, to hide his reddening face from embarrassment. Which did not go unnoticed from Sprout, Hermione or McGonagall.

He looked at the way the woman sat herself in the empty chair, her eyes closed and clenched teeth, like she expected a divine thunderbolt to slam the table. He wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but Hermione's elbow in his ribs made him change his idea.

"A bit of meat, Sibyl?" asked the metamorphosis professor.

Professor Trelawney did not give her any attention. Her eyes looking around her.

"Where is professor Lupin?" she asked.

"His voice is in his desk, from what I can tell, I would say he is sick like a dog..." answered Ace.

Snape seemed to try to swallow his lips to avoid any comments.

"That is right" said Dumbledore. "It is even sadder that he falls sick the day of Christmas. Did you fellows explain the tradition to you?"

"Yes sensei. If I had know, I would have acted like I should have" answered Ace.

"I can only guess you already knew, Sybil?" asked professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows.

The divination teacher glared at her.

"Obviously, I knew, Minerva" she answered in a soft voice. "But it is not because one knows things that he must boast about it. I often act like I do not have the Third Eye, to avoid making others uncomfortable, unlike a certain young seafarer."

"That actually explain many things... And who were you talking about using 'seafarer'?" asked McGonagall in an undecided tone.

"Young dark-haired man, charcoal and silver eyes."

Ace's chopsticks stopped halfway between his plate and his mouth, staring at the woman, which he had never seen previously. For her to say that... He looked at Dumbledore, which seemed as surprised as him.

"I have no idea what that 'Third Eye' is, but what I am pretty sure, is that you are confusing it with something called Haki, which I am actually teaching to those masochistic enough to receive my teaching. Thank you for forgetting me, I am no one."

And just like that, he went back to his plate, ignoring his laughing friends. Ace and food... a true love story.

Trelawney went back to her delirium, saying she just knew Lupin would never last at Hogwarts, since he had run away when the divination teacher tried to read his future.

The meal continued on almost normally, that is until Ron, Harry and Ace got up.

"My dear children!" exclaimed Trelawney after a sharp cry. "Which of you three got up first? Which one?"

"I don't know..." answered Ron, looking at Harry embarassed.

"It does not matter" declared McGonagall in an icy tone. "Unless a crazy killer try to cuth them down when they leave the great hall."

"If that is the case, I'm going to say hi to him!" smiled Ace trying not to laugh.

Ron had no such reservation.

"Are you coming?" Harry asked Hermione.

"I'm coming!"

She finished her cake and got up.

"I'll see you all later in the tower." Ace told them once they had left the Great Hall.

"Where are you going?" asked Ron.

"Take a swim in the lake. I've been dreaming to do that for a long time."

"Are you crazy! In this kind of weather?!" chocked Hermione.

"Don't worry about me. But can I ask you to leave the dormitory window cracked open? I'll come in through that."

"You really have a few screws loose... Honestly" Harry told him.

For all answer, he was rewarded by a smile.

"That's a fact! I am a D."

And Ace left the castle.

"Well, I hope he won't complain when he catches his death!" a scandalized Hermione commented, making her two companion smile.

.

.

"Happy new year!"

Harry and Ron woke up jumping, when Hermione slammed their dormitory door open, all happy, on the morning of January First.

"Happy new year to you as well" mumbled back the guys.

Ace's only answer was a growl, a few letters on his knees, he was on the windowsill, Fawkes perched not far.

"Well, someone has a lot of mail" commented Hermione.

"From Neville, Lovegood-chan, Luffy, Sabo, my godfather which I almost don't know, a bunch of friends..." answered Ace showing a small pack.

"How come? And what it Dumbledore's phoenix doing here?" asked Harry, putting his glasses on.

"Fawkes just brought them to me... as for the why... I just got a year in the head!"

Ron and Harry stayed still, perplex. While Hermione shrieked a little and jumped at his neck... well, tried, but Ace rolled out of the way.

"Why did you jump on him? Are you in love, Hermione?" asked a red-colored Ron.

"You really don't get anything fast! It's his birthday!" exclaimed Hermione, all radiant. "Happy birthday Ace!"

She tried once again to hug him, but ace jumped away.

"I like to avoid being strangled" Ace told her.

"Happy birthday, Portgas! You could have told us before, we would have found a gift!"

"I'm not a big fan of gifts. Besides, I got plenty for the week."

Since he was close to his bed, he went to search through his things.

"By the way, Potter, Fawkes brought your broom back. Dumbledore judged it was not dangerous."

Ace pointed toward Neville's bed, where the broom layed and Harry all but jumped at it, all happy. Once he found what he was looking for, Ace went to grab his letters, opening the package with his other hand... and got the blank dial he had given Luna.

Curious, he brought it to his ear and activated it.

"Are you hoping to hear the sea?" asked Hermione, perplex.

"Well... Yes, and my hopes were answered." He answered, his eyes closed.

Hermione frowned and moved forward. Ace placed the dial close to her ear, and the young girl's eyes widened, surprised.

"What is it?" asked Ron.

"Tsuki no Home just gifted me a wonderful birthday gift. She successfully recorded the sea. Just push on the seashell."

Ace tossed the shell toward Ron, who did as told.

"That's crazy! Harry, listen!"

Harry put his broom under his bed, and took the dial. Bringning it closer to his ear, he could hear the sound of waves crashing against rocks, the signing of the wind, and the seabirds.

"That's crazy..." said Harry, giving the sea shell back.

"A wonderful gift..." smiled Ace, looking at the shell between his fingers with sparkling eyes.

Hermione made a sad smile, and kissed his on the cheek, making Ace's eyebrows shot up to his hair.

"You definitely have a thing for Portgas" mumbled Ron.

Harry and Ace looked at each other, shaking their heads.

"Would that be jealousy, Weasley?" asked Ace with a wide smile.

Ron struggles to answer anything, which made Harry laugh harder.

"I'm off the market anyway," added Ace, placing the dial on his nightstand.

"And who is the lucky one?" asked Harry.

"That, I will never say, Potter..."

And Ace stuck his tongue out.

.

.

"Ace?"

Ace lift up his head to look at Hermione, who got closer to him during the Magical Creature's class.

"You seem sad every time you look into the fire. Why is that? Do you want to talk about it?

Ace focused his attention back on the salamander who revealed in the bonfire that Hagrid had started.

He was envious.

He would do almost anything to be able to jump into the flames, like he use to be. Using Haki to make sure no one was listening in, Ace explained:

"In my world, we might not have magic, but we have akuma no mi. They are mysterious fruits which, give the eater a random power, while removing his ability to swim. Everything and anything under the sun can be one of such fruit. I use to have one... The mera mera, which made me literally a fire-man..."

"You lost that ability when you died? Yes, I know that you are dead, I found an old ritual book which contained a description of your chains..."

"The dead do not need such power... therefore yes, I lost it. And I am deeply missing it. Someone had renamed me the Firefist. I do not quite feel like myself, now that I am lacking it. I am quite envious of those salamanders."

Hermione slightly tightened her hold on Ace's shoulder, to show some sympathy.

"Dumbledore is the one that dragged you back, right? To protect Harry?"

"You are too bright for your own safety, Hermione."

"I know, it's what makes me scary! I am the despicable Miss Know-It-All, after all."

"Oh, but I believe you, oujou-san. Hiken no Ace is but your humble knight." said Ace, mimicking a curtsy that made Hermione chuckle.

"Let's go fetch some wood. I'm gonna teach those salamanders not to piss me off by heating them until they grill..." started Ace.

"Revenge against salamanders!" laughed Hermione.

"Why are you laughing?" wondered Hagrid getting closer to Hermione, Harry and Ron.

"I am jealous of the salamanders, therefore, to extract my vengeance, I will insure, with some help, that they get so hot they will regret ever making me jealous..."

"And why is that?" inquired Harry

"Inside joke" was Hermione's answer. "Let's go burn down some salamanders!"

"I don't know what you did, but since she knows you, Hermione became weirder." Ron commented.

"I agreed" added the giant.

Ace simply offered them a large innocent smile.

"I did nothing! There is a saying, how D.'s are pretty degenerates and that they are extremely contagious!"

He had a small laugh, and went to get some wood with Hermione.

"I knew Portgas was weird, but now..." commented Harry, with wide eyes.

"He corrupted Hermione!" chocked Ron.


	9. Learning Patronus

Chapter 9 Learning Patronus

AN:

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

* * *

"Lupin doesn't look so good... I wonder what that's about..." commented Ron while they left the Dinning hall.

"Sa na..." said Ace while sitting down.

"Yes, 'sa na', as you said..." said Hermione with bitterness.

"You started to learn Japanese? Don't you have enough classes as is?" Ron commented while sitting beside Hermione.

Bam!

Harry ignored Ace, who'se head just slammed into his plate.

"No, Ron, no need. He repeats some expressions often enought that you start to get what they mean." said Harry. " 'Sa na' would be like asking 'Who knows'" or 'Only god knows'. You understand?"

"I'm still struggling with his mania to keep switching between languages."

"That's because you don't develop your brain enough, Ronny!" mocked Fred while forcibly taking a place between Harry and the young pirate.

"Ace, your food looks good, can I eat some?" inquired George, from Ace's other side.

"Don't touch!" grumbled Ace while suddenly getting back up, his eyes screaming murder.

"Everything for food, right?" smile Fred.

"And yet, with my crazy idiotic brother, each meal is a real fight... Otherwise, what were we talking about?"

"Lupin's illness, at least when you fell asleep." boringly answered Hermione.

"Oh."

Ace shrugged.

"It's dangerous, you know that, no?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, and?"

"That's all?!"

Ace pulled his sleeve back, showing both the blade and some of the tattooed chain on his arm. The message was quite clear. I am here for protection, therefore I can deal if Lupin becomes dangerous.

"If you say so." said Hermione.

"Are you telepathic?" jokingly asked Harry.

"No, we simply communicate by a secret code." Ace answered.

And he pulled his attention back on his plate, which was sadly empty, he therefore grabbed seconds.

.

.

Thursday night at eight in the evening, one could find Harry, Ace, Lupin and a Boggart in the History of Magic classroom.

"I looked through all the castle since last Tuesday, and finally managed to find one in Filch's wardrobe. This is the closest one can safely get to a Dementor. Once it sees you, Harry, the Boggart will take on the Dementor's shape and we will be able to train with it. I will keep it in my desk when we don't use it."

"Alright, but for Portgas... his fear has nothing to do with Dementors," said Harry, while trying to hide his apprehension.

"You will be in the front line, I think, Potter, so the Boggart will keep it's shape, I will stay behind you. And I will not use Haki, Okami-sensei. No worried about making it run away."

"No worries, Hiken," assured Lupin. "Take your wands out now. The spell I am about to teach you both is an advanced magic spell, which is far above the level of third years. It is called Patronus."

"How does it work?" asked Harry fearful.

He quickly cast an eye over to Ace, which looked nervous as well. It's true that it made him thing back on the fact that he had a huge scar across both his front and back.

"If the spell works as expected, your Patronus will appear, which mean an anti-Dementor, a protector which role will be to shield between you and it."

While Harry imagined being hidden away behind something of Hagrid's size, armed with a club, Ace visualized quite well his captain cutting down a Dementor with his bisento. The mere image mad him smile.

"The patronus," continued Lupin, "represents a positive presence, a projection of everything the Dementors are use to eat – hope, happiness, living spirit – but by opposition to the humans, the Patronus cannot feel the despair. Therefore the dementors cannot hurt them. I must warn both of you, this spell might be too complex for you now. Numerous highly qualified witch and wizards, are still struggling to use it."

"The world impossible was removed from the dictionary by my family so..." said Ace. "Otherwise, what does it look like?"

"Every Patronus is unique The shape changes according to the wizard casting it."

"How do we make it appear?" asked Harry.

"By pronouncing an incantation that can only work if you focus all your energy on a special happy memory."

Ace swore before falling cross-legged to the ground, focused, searching deeply for the happiest memory he could find... Nothing before his brothers, that was sure... nothing that included the adults, except the Shirohige, or their allies... one of the times he screwed up people in Goa? He smiled at the memory. The good old times.

"I'm ready" said Harry, trying to remind himself the exact feeling he had when he first got in the air on a broom.

"I found it as well." assured Ace.

He pulled himself back on his feet, a determined frown on his face.

Lupin coughed lightly, and told them the spell to say.

"Expecto Patronum."

The two young man said it, a thin silver mist spread out from their wands.

"||Beware, Akainu, I am going to kill you with this silver mist|| ! taunted Ace.

"You said, Hiken?" asked Lupin, after having congratulated them.

"Nothing, just raving alone, don't worry about me..."

"Very well. Who wants to go first?"

"Honour to the elders." said Harry.

"Go ahead, hide behind me, I won't say anything, Potter" mocked Ace.

He rolled his head around to stretch and prepared himself. He breathed deeply and focused. The cover lifted and, Harry being the closest, the Boggart took a Dementor's shape.

"Move back, Potter!" screamed Ace.

He pulled his want and repeated the shield spell.

The air started to smell like gunpowder and blood.

"Expecto Patronum... Expecto Patronum."

Nothing to do, the Dementor was moving closer.

He was even feeling the magma's burns on his forearms, making him jump on the ground while holding his arm.

"Harry, your turn!" screamed Lupin.

A sharp pain crossed Ace's chest.

.

.

When the two young man woke up, they found themselves laying down on the classroom's floor. No need to be Vegapunk or Einstein to figure out what happened.

"Sorry" apologized Harry, sitting up, his face still shining with sweat.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes..."

Harry got back on his feet, but kept most of his weight on the table.

Ace was biting his lips, trying to subdue the pain from his scars.

"Hiken?"

Ace slowed down his breathing, trying to calm himself, until the pain slowly fainted away. He got back on shaking legs, putting his hand through his hair.

"You're really white, are you okay?" a worried Harry asked.

"You don't look like a flower either, Potter. Don't worry." Ace answered with a weak small.  
"Here" said the teacher giving them a few chocolate frogs. "Eat this, and we will start again. I did not expect you to succeed at your first try. I would have been baffled if you had."

"It's getting worse," mumbled Harry biting into the frog. "This time, I heard my mother louder... and ... Voldemort as well."

"You're lucky... for a little while, I thought I was back on the battlefield... the smell of gunpowder... blood... the screams of the injured... the voices of the dying... Akainu..."

Ace pulled his hand back on his chest.

"If you would rather stop now, I would understand..." said Lupin.

"I want to continue!" complained the two boys before gulping down the left over chocolate.

"Very well... in this case, maybe you should focus on another happy memory? This one does not seem to be quite enough..."

"I already know which I will choose. I don't know it's it is... intense... but... it's symbolic..." murmured Ace.

"Is it happy?" asked Lupin.

"One of my first positive memories in my life" smiled Ace.

He looked at Harry who nodded back.

"This time, I'll go first" said Harry.

They pushed back from the table, wands in hand.

Harry tried, but soon enough he was unconscious at Ace's feet.

His eyes closed, he was seeing Luffy in front of him, with bruises and tears, his perplexed look in front of even the most basic question.

Lupin was surprised by what Ace said instead of the incantation:

"I want you to live..."

And it worked...

A silver shade sprang up from Ace's magic wand, taking an avian shape, and pushed the Dementor back.

"Riddikulus!" promptly roared Lupin.

The dementor went flying back in his box, and Ace fell back on his ass, breathing harshly.

"Surprising, Hiken, nicely done! We will talk about it when Harry wakes up."

Ace cought the chocolate frog Lupin threw him, and ate it, looking at the professor waking his other student. And this time, it was his father he heard, who had tried to fight Voldemort on his own, to allow time for his wife and son to run away.

"You... Did you hear James?" asked Lupin in a strange voice.

"Yes.." answered the boy, lifting his head up a bit. "Why? Did... Did you know my father?"

"Yes... well, yes..." said Lupin. "We were friends, we met in Hogwarts. Harry, I think this should be it for tonight. This spell is extremely complex, even if Hiken almost succeeded in manifesting a corporal patronus... I should never have tried to teach it to you."

"What?" answered both students.

"Patronus is an especially difficult charm. But the most powerful a patronus can be, is when it takes a specific shape. One needs an overly positive memory and a strong volition to succeed. Only powerful sorcerers succeed. And you even did it silently."

"Either my translating wristband is malfunctioning, or I'm dumb."

"From sixth years onward, we expect students to be able to do spells without saying the incantation out loud. You did speak, but it was not the incantation. And despite that, you successfully cast the spell. Even tho it was foggy and without any real texture, it was possible to discern the shape of a huge bird. As tall as an above average adult man. Patronus usually take a shape from the personality of their casters."

A bird... as tall as a man... Representing his personality.

Ace started to reddened deeply, clearly able to visualize a huge fiery bird.

"If I am right taking into account your current shade, young man, you know what it is, and is has a deep meaning for you..." said Lupin with a meaningful smile.

"Urusai..." mumbled Ace with a pout.

He would NOT talk about his sentimental life with this man!

In the back, Harry had a close call, almost chocking on his chocolate while trying not to laugh.

"I'm am ready for a new try." said Harry while getting up. "I have a memory strong enough this time!"

"Try to have something symbolic, Potter" suggested Ace, still sitting against the wall and calmly munching on some chocolate.

"I will hunt you to find out about what you were thinking, Portgas," Harry innocently smiled while staying focused.

"I might tell you one day, maybe, when what I will tell you will not fry your little brain."

"Ready?" asked Lupin, which did seemed rather reluctant to renew this experience. "Are you focused? Let's start!"

He raised the cover of the chess for a third time and the Dementor stretched up. The lights extinguished, the cold spred...

"Expecto Patronum! EXPECTO PATRONUM!" screamed Harry. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The screams had started to ring in his head, but this time, it was like they were coming from a badly tuned radio. Their intensity diminished, increased, diminished again... Harry was still seeing the dementor, who suddenly froze... Then, a silver shade spread out of Harry's magic wand, and floated in the air, between the dementor and him. Harry felt like his legs were had become jelly, but he was still standing... For now, he did not know...

Ace jumped in from of the Dementor, who immediately shape shifted into Garp.

"Wari Jiji. Ore wa Shirohige no musko... Riddikulus!"

And the old man was now dressed like Ivankov, at the same time as Harry's patronus disappeared.

"I'll take care of it" assured Lupin. "Take care of Harry."

Ace grabbed the chocolate that Lupin was giving him and went to join Harry, hiding from him that the moon shaped Dementor.

"Not bad Potter" congratulated the young pirate.

"I feel like I ran a marathon..." admitted Harry, accepting the chocolate.

"Excellent! This was a great start! Congratulation Harry. And to you as well, Hiken!" exclaimed Lupin.

"Can't we try again? Just one more time?" asked Harry.

"Even I am not masochistic enough for that, Potter..." Ace laughed while getting Harry back on his feet.

"Your friend is right, this is plenty for tonight."

He gave both of them a new chocolate bar.

"Eat up! Otherwise, Mrs Pomfrey will be angry at me. We shall start again at the same time, next week. Is that alright with you both?"

"Yeah"

"Oh and for you, young man, one can never be too careful. So here is something for you to have a calm night, just in case. I learn that you could be rather..."

"Vocal? Loud? Unavoidable?" suggested Ace, taking the potion. "What is it?"

"Dreamless drought."

"Yokatta"

Harry took a break from eating, getting a sudden idea.

"Professor Lupin?" he said. "If you have known my father, then you must have also known Sirius Black."

Lupin sprang his way.

"Will take this as a yes. Breath, Sensei, we won't take it against you, or accuse you of anything." reassured Ace.

"It's just that Portgas has done some research on Black and..."

"We came tho a few hypothesis which would suggest he is an innocent man." completed Ace.

Lupin eyebrows shot upwards from surprise.

"Well, come to my office to talk about it to me..."

"Please wait, we have on single question, and we can validate one of the hypothesis. Just one." said Harry.

"Very well, but only one, it's starting to be quite late."

"Was Peter Pettigrew an undeclared animagus?"

Lupin's eyes opened wide. He did not expect this. He could see the hope in Harry's eyes and... something in Ace's that suggested he already knew the answer.

"Yes, even tho I do not know where you got such an idea..."

"Yessssss!" was Ace's only answer, and Harry had a huge smile on his face.

"So, from your theory..."

"Black would be an innocent man falsely accused and Pettigrew is still alive, out there, and a traitor. Good night sensei!"

As the two boys went back toward the tower,, Lupin could feel a small hope grow inside him.

.

.

Ace went to sit beside Hermione in the common room, while she was crushed by her homework. She threw a dark look his way, but cut it short, feeling some nostalgia from the teen.

Where Hermione was, Ace was seeing Marco, in a sleepless night, spreading over maps and paperwork. Usually, Ace would force him to put the quill back and drag him to bed... sometimes he would silently watch him work.

"What are you thinking about, Usul?" Hermione whispered, hoping that neither Ron or Harry heard it, both boys who were crumpling under their own work.

Ace came back to Earth, and after a quick look toward the other two he said:

"Ichibantaï Taïsho no Shirohige Kaizoku, Fushisho Marco."

The two boys looked at each other, wondering why he said that, while Hermione focused on Ace. The young man's body language was more telling than any words he could have said.

"You will see that person again..." smiled Hermione.

"Sa na... Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi."


	10. Hiken no Ace : the return

Chapter 10 Hiken no Ace : the return

AN:

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

* * *

"You haven't said anything tonight..." commented Harry while they were coming back from Lupin's extra course.

"Mmmmh?" inquired Ace, still deep in thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Of a few people for who the Dementor's kiss would be well merited... Akainu, Sengoku, Marshall D. Teach and crew, all the Tenryuubito, Kaido, Big Mum..."

"That makes a lot of people." complained Harry. "What have they done?"

"I will tell you when I trust you a little more, Potter. Oi, Neville, you're trying to parley with this thick headed tin can?"

They were in front of Catogan's Knight, who had replaced the Fat Lady, and could see Neville was having a few issues.

"I lost the paper on which I write the passwords." groaned Neville. "It must have slipped from my pocket..."

"Lies!" roared the knight. "I tell you good night, young squire and commander." he added after seeing Harry and Ace. "It would be prudent, dear commander, to throw this peasant to the dungeons, since..."

"Enough." was Ace's answer. "It is your fault if Neville is in this state. If you could stop changing the password like you change your underwear, that would be great for everybody!"

"I lost all the passwords!" lamented Neville. "Since he switches them so often, I wrote all the ones he wanted to use this week, to be sure to have them, but I can't remember what I did with the list."

"We'll look for it, it might be in the Common Room. Oi, knight..."

"My commander?" inquired the painting, straightening to attention with a metallic clank.

"Open the door. Now."

The knight swallowed and opened the door.

"I will always be surprised of the way you make the painting respect you" commented Harry.

"I am used to being obeyed. If I didn't have a shed of authority, I would be a rather poor big brother, and my brother would be dead more than once from not listening."

They caught up right when Ron was aggressive toward Hermione, who was not understanding anything. The boy was holding a bloody drape.

"What's happening?" inquired Harry.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?! SCABBERS HAS DISAPPEARED! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE GROUND?!"

He pointed toward something on one of Hermione's book. Long orange fur.

This was his chance... If Ron thought Scabbers was dead, then, Ace didn't need to be discrete anymore when he tried to capture the rat.

That same night, Ace went back down in the common race to see Crookshanks.

"Neko-chan, I have a favour to ask of you..." whispered Ace while petting the feline.

The cat was purring while looking at him.

"Please take this to the dog." Ace asked, showing it a message.

The feline took it in his mouth, and jumped off the couch, to stop in front of the painting for Ace to open it.

.

* * *

.

"Not bad" commented Ace. "But I've seen faster..."

Indeed, Harry would never have Marco's speed, even with his Firebolt.

"It's a miracle that Wood hasn't made remark yet." mumbled George. "Ace, are you coming with us to raid the kitchen?"

"With Pleasure" assured Ace.

"Nothing will stop us tomorrow!" exclaimed Wood. "Unless... Harry, have you solve your... issue... with the Dementor?"

"In a way... but it should be enough." said Harry with his poor Patronus.

"I'll stay on the Lookout" insured Ace.

"The Dementors will not come Oliver, Dumbledore would be furious." added Fred. "And we do have Ace anyway, he will be a good kamikaze to pull Harry back."

"Let's hope you're right. You did a pretty good job, all of... We should head back toward the castle, and go to bed."

"I'm going to run a bit before going in. I'm more gonna run around the Whomping Willow, it's a good training." said the young pirate.

"Oh, that's why you haven't put on your uniform" understood Ron who had see the training.

Ace nodded.

"Portgas, you're suicidal, running with a deadly tree..." commented Wood.

Ace walked them back to the castle. Once he was sure they were inside, he stretched a little, relaxed his muscles and ran out to the Whomping Willow. He avoided the first branch, jumped over the next one, and climbed onto the third one before jumping into the whole in the roots. He slowly walked the way to the Shrieking Shack, and found a big black dog when he entered the room.

"Konbawa, Black."

The dog turned his head toward the newcomer and morphed back into a man.

"Hello. Crookshanks gave me your message. You said you had new information?"

"Would you, by any chance, know where Neville Longbottom's password list would be?"

Sighting loudly, Sirius browsed his pockets and took it out.

"I thought so. Crookshanks, I assume?" smiled Ace.

"That cat is quite clever."

"Just as it's master. Another thing... the target is not in the dormitories anymore; he is in the castle , but he could be hiding in a mouse hole. I am trying to get Mrs Norris to help me to catch him, but I haven't managed it yet. He will not come back to the tower. He is trying to fool us that he is dead, yet again, using Crookshanks as the scapegoat.

"Shit..."

"There is something else, isn't it..."

Sirius dropped on the old dusty bed and confessed:

"I... I would like to see Harry from up close... not just far away... and explain everything to Remus."

"It would be risky. I managed to persuade Potter of your possible innocence, but I don't know if Lupin would be so easy to believe me. Okami-sensei is a sad and hurt man."

"I will try it nonetheless."

"Just let me know beforehand, so I can have an alibi for my... lack of reaction."

"No problem. Why exactly do you help me?"

"My story is quite similar to yours. I was judged guilty for a crime I never did. In fact, I am guilty for the crime of my father and for living. All the shit I did in my life are barely seconds."

"I am sorry to know."

Ace shrugged.

"I grew up with it. Well, I'm going back to play with the willow. Oh and tomorrow is Gryffindor against Ravenclaw."

.

* * *

.

Ace slipped behind Malfoy, Flint, Crabbe and Goyle who were trying to act like dementors. He looked at Harry and his Patronus scaring the trio. Ace amused himself a little with scaring them a bit more.

"Are you going somewhere, omae-tachi?"

They jumped and turned toward Ace, falling on their ass and trying to crawl backwards to get as far as possible from him. McGonagall cut their escape short.

Go congratulate Potter, Portgas, I'll take care of them.

Portgas ran to join the crowd, just in time to see Lupin congratulate the young boy's patronus.

"Indeed, not bad." smiled Ace. "Nice game, Potter."

"Dementors didn't do anything to me! I haven't felt a thing!" exclaimed Harry, extremely happy.

"Ahhh, sorry to break all your hopes, but, even tho it was quite beautiful, you weren't facing real dementors." Ace told him with an even bigger smile.

"How come?" asked Alicia Spinnet.

Ace pointed toward the Slytherins getting their ears rubbed raw by McGonagall.

.

* * *

.

"Sake? You gave me sake? And what are you trying to bribe me for?" asked Ace looking at the bottle between his hands.

"Hermione's morale." suggested Fred. "Our little brother is quite dumb..."

Hermione had fallen in tears at one of Ron's comments about Scabbers, who would have apparently participated to the party, had he still been alive.

"It's better without having that rat around. He is dangerous." breathed Ace. "Put that under my bed, I'll take care of Hermione."

George nodded and went up the stairs with the bottle. Ace went toward the tear ridden teen.

He closed all her books, not letting her protest, and took her by the arm.

"Ace!"

"No protest!"

Hermione was pouting, but followed Ace out of the room.

Outside, the boy changed form and suddenly, Hermione was beside an enormous black panther.

"Ace..." she whispered.

The panther only answer was a toothy smile and a wink. It inclined it's head to ask for Hermione to follow it. They went up the stairs until the seventh floor.

"Where are we going?" asked a nervous Hermione.

Ace simply moved his tail and stopped in front of a tapestry displaying a wizard trying to teach trolls how to dance.

There, he grabbed the young girl's sleeve and pulled her in front of the tapestry, before letting her go. He had a look that seemed to say 'stay here', then he started to do some back and forth from the start to the end of the corridor. A door started to appear on the wall in front of Hermione.

Ace went toward the door and took his human shape back to open it, making a small sign for Hermione to enter.

Inside...

"Wow..." whispered Hermione while looking at what seemed to be a huge space filled with huge trees and strange bubbles spreading around the ground.

"Welcome the mangrove archipelago of Shabaody." presented Ace while closing the door.

Behind him, there was a small house, with Hogwarts written on it.

"You mean..."

"This rooms seems to be able to recreate anything we ask for. I asked it to recreate a place from my own word, and here it is! Nice, isn't it? I'm saddened that it cannot be the real one. I also need you."

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"I want my akuna no mi back, and know who, or what, has it in their possession right now." Ace confessed.

At his feet, a chess appeared. Hermione picked it up and opened it, seeing a weird... fruit? In it and a piece of parchment.

"Donquixote Donflamingo?" she read.

Ace took the fruit and showed it to Hermione.

"I need the cleverest of the witches to make an exact copy of this fruit. Enough to fool even an expert. Could you help me out?"

"And what is this? She asked back.

"Mera mera no mi. My akuma no mi."

.

* * *

.

That same night, Harry had a strange dream. He was walking through a forest, his Firebolt on his shoulder, following something silvery white. It was always on the edge, flickering between the trees' leafs. He hurried up, hoping not to lose the shape, but whenever he started to catch up, it also accelerated. Harry started to run, and he could hear hoofs hammering the ground at an accelerating pace. Soon, he was running as fast as he could, and he could only hear the hurried gallop He arrived in a clearing, and the golden shape was there. A massive deer, fierce and elegant was just there. A strangely familiar deer. Harry walked forward, and extended his arm toward the animal who didn't step back.

"Wake up, talk to him, and learn the truth."

Harry moved in his bed and opened his eyes, only to see that one of his drapes was not closed anymore but open, and someone was standing by his bed.

Someone gave him his glasses.

Harry put them on and straightened, a bit surprised to see Sirius Black on his knees beside his bed, looking at him with a sad little smile that Harry could barely see it in the darkness.

"I did not want to wake you up, Harry." whispered Black.

"Sirius Black, right?"

"The one and only. You're not screaming in terror? Calling out for help? I'm supposed to be an escaped murderer."

"If you were coming after me, you would already have killed me instead of looking me sleep. Therefore, since I am still alive, I assume that the warning about you are useless and the you are innocent."

"You can call me Sirius, Harry. I don't know if you're aware but I am..."

"My godfather, yes I'm aware. Why are you here, Bl... Sirius?"

"Other than that I wanted to see you, after all those years in prison? I wanted to make sure you were alright, and also track down the man that made me a fugitive."

"Peter Pettigrew? One of my classmates has shared with me a theory on your innocence. But why are you in Hogwarts?"

"Because that man is here, Harry."

Sirius would have wanted to say something else, but the screams of Seamus, seeing a wild man in their dormitory, interrupted him.

"We will meet again, Harry." Sirius told him with a smile.

And he ran away toward the stairs.

.

* * *

.

Hermione and Ace caught up to the other Gryffindors the next day. McGonagall directly went to see them to know why they hadn't been in the tower, and Ace answered her, going to sit beside Harry.

"Hermione seem on the edge of a nervous breakdown if she continued to work like she did. I went to show her an interesting room in the castle, where she was able to relax. That's all, sensei. She fell asleep over there, and I decided to watch over her. Why?"

"Sirius Black entered the castle and tried to kill Harry." whispered Seamus. "He had Neville's password list."

"He did NOT try to kill me, he just wanted to talk." repeated Harry for the hundredth time. "You didn't feel him, Ace?"

"My Haki did not judge it sufficient to wake me up, since he was not a danger, apparently." answered the young man in a resplendent happy mood.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" asked Dean, while the cat animagus left.

Ace and Hermione shared a look and burst out laughing.

"Salamanders are gonna have some challengers" said the young girl. "Maybe even the dragons!"

"Would you like to test the limits with me, when you'll have five minutes?" inquired Ace.

"If I have a little time, yes. And thank you for yesterday, I would really have had a breakdown if you hadn't interfered. Would you show me Gyojin's island next time?"

"With pleasure, oujou-san!"

"Those two are not normal..." commented Seamus. "Harry almost gets killed and they don't even worry about it?"

"Sirius Black, what did he want?" asked Hermione to Harry while getting some pumpkin juice.

"To see me and catch the man that made him a scapegoat." answered Harry. "He was gonna explain more when Seamus woke up and gave the alarm."

.

* * *

.

Ace was happily throwing a small fire ball from one hand to another when Harry entered the Gryffindor tower, a weird look on his face. Hiken extinguished the flames and welcomed Harry to sit in the armchair in front of him. Harry took the sit but stayed silent.

"Whenever you want, Potter."

" I got discovered by Malfoy." mumbled Harry after a minute. "My cape slipped and he told Snape who grabbed me when he came back. Lupin came and save me, before confiscating the map. He knew what it was. He seemed disappointed that I hadn't taken it to a teacher."

"Of course..." was Ace's answer.

"What do you mean?" asked the Potter child.

"Wari Potter, but that is not my secret to tell about how Okami-sensei is aware of the map, Weasley is still acting like a clown about Hermione?"

Harry nodded.

"Hagrid's spirit did not get really far, it seemed. I'm praying to Davy Jones that the process goes all right."

"So do I."

.

* * *

.

Ace tightened his hand on the strap of his bag, in his anger... burned it, making him swear.

"Ace, be careful." Hermione told him.

She helped him extinguish the fire.

"Ne, can I have Lucius Malfoy's address... I would like go visit him and make him change his opinion..." said Ace with a ferocious look, while they were all watching Hagrid walk back to his shack.

"If only, Portgas." sighted Ron.

"Look at him cry!"

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had stayed by the castle's door to listen on the conversation between the Gryffindors and Hagrid.

"Never seem someone as pathetic." said Malfoy. "And he is supposed to be a teacher in this school!"

Harry and Ron moved forward in an intimidating look, but Hermione was faster.

Clack!

Using all her strengths, she slapped Malfoy who swayed. Stupefied, all the others looked at Hermione raising her hand again.

"Don't you ever dare to say Hagrid is pathetic, you spoiled brat!"

"Hermione... May I?"

All the eyed went on Ace. He had dropped his bag and his robe to make his fist crack, his shoulders on fire, a deadly look in the eyes. The three Slytherins gulped by fear.

"Either you take back what you said, and you never dare to even think badly about Hagrid-sensei, or... I will demonstrate why I am called Hiken no Ace."

Ace's hands burst in flames.

That was enough for the three to run away.

The flames died out and Ace went to pick up his things.

"Ace!" said Hermione, hesitant between a reproach or a laugh.

"You cannot denied that it feels good to put them back in their place, Hermione. Come, we have DADA.

"How did you do that Ace?" inquired the two boys. "Was that Haki?"

"Iie. Sore wa naisho dazo."

Ace just mysteriously smile and brought his index to his lips.

.

* * *

.

Hermione had just apologized to professor Flitwick and was walking toward Divination when she found Ace on her path.

"Ace?! Don't you have a Haki class to teach?" wondered Hermione.

Ace looked at his watch and said

"I still have 10 minutes. This is about you, Hermione. You're going to tire yourself to death. That object is too dangerous. Extremely dangerous, Hermione..."

Ace walked up to her before pulling a small sand timer from her necklace.

"I like you quite a lot, and I would rather have it that one of the rare people I reasonably trust does not die in such a stupid way. If I was you I would go see McGonagall-sensei to stop all this. I cannot make the decision for you, that would against free will, but if you continue like this you will become crazy from from all the extra work. I said what I had to. I'm now going to teach my first-year class.

Ace left, leaving a perplex Hermione in the corridor.

.

* * *

.

Ace, tired of the ambiance in Gryffindor's Tower, decided to take a midnight stroll.

He had some issue getting the idea of that game.

On his feline paws, the young man was following Crookshanks towards the Forbidden Forest where Sirius was waiting for him.

Suddenly, Ace stopped and turned toward the tower.

Harry was awake.

He also seemed to have spotted him since he had opened the window and leaned outside to get a better view. Potter quickly went back in his dorm and Ace ran over the cover of the trees, joining a black dog and an orange cat. From here, they were invisible.

The huge dog welcomed Ace with a head tilt and the panther started to walk deeper in the forest.

Once they were absolutely positive no one could see them, they shifted back into their human shapes and took seats on some tree's roots.

"It seems you do not appreciate the stress that comes with the play." commented Sirius with a smile.

"I'm going to get shout at for my disinterest in it. It feels like they all become mad. In addition to everything, I am supposed to prepare an exam that a bare percent of them seem to start to understand. When you're trapped in the agitation in the tower it's not easy... Even less with all those loud and excited voices that block me to locate a rat."

"Continuously hearing all the students, that cannot be easy." confessed the fugitive. "Why don't you use bludgers? Ask a teacher to make a copy and make them less dangerous. With a good spell, you could have them colour the students like that, at the end of the exam, the cleaner the student, the better the grade."

Ace seemed to think than a sadistic smile spread on his face.

"What a great idea, it could work!"

.

* * *

.

Ace was studying with the others when Percy came to see him.

"May I talk to you in private, Portgas?"

Ace frowned, and went with him.

They left the tower and walked to an empty classroom. There, ace sat on a table and waited for the redhead to start talking.

"I need some advice, and I think you are the best person to ask." Percy told him.

"I am no expert in witchcraft. As for Haki, you're right on the edge, but that's you who need to take the next step, not me."

"It's not about that. It's about... spying."

"And what makes you think I can help you with that?" Ace asked in a dangerous yet innocent voice.

"I told Dumbledore what I wanted to do and he sent me toward you. He told me to tell you the Nibantai Taisho would be the best teacher that I could get on how to dupe people that I want to spy on.

Ace frown deepened.

If he was understanding this, someone wanted him to reveal his secret...

"Soka. I want your word that everything and anything I tell you or show you will not leave this room. And you need to understand that to be a good spy, you will need to make your family against you. Are you ready to bare those consequences?"

"Yes. If I can make sure what is building on the horizon will not affect them too much by playing spy, I am ready to be disowned."

"And what do you see on the horizon?"

"My family follows Dumbledore without question. But how long will it be, until the Ministry rejects the advice of the Director in favour of money? I am scare that this will lead toward a war or something of that nature.

"Soka. Your word, Percy Weasley."

"You have it, Portgas"

Ace got up, silently blessed himself for been dressed like civilian. He removed his orange shirt, and pulled his characteristic hat to put it on his head. And lastly, he slowly removed the youth runes from his wrist.

A first bracelet, and a boy of fifteen was standing in front of Percy.

Another, and Ace was now sixteen.

Yet another, and Percy could not open his eyes any wider, seen a young men around his age, even taller than him.

The last three bracelets were removed and Percy took a step back.

"Allow me to introduce myself" said Ace stretching, his shirt on the table. "My name is Portgas D. Ace, and I am the commander of the second fleet of the Strongest Pirate, Edward Newgate, aka Shirohige which can be translate as WhiteBeard in your language. And I am a pirate. If you want to learn about fooling the world, and its laws, you knocked at the right door. Now, we need to know if you will accept my teaching..."


	11. A night in the Shrieking Shack

Chapter 11 A night in the Shrieking Shack

AN:

Sorry for the chapter mishaps...

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

* * *

Exams were finally there.

Monday, Metamorphosis.

If Hermione was tiring everyone by complaining about that his turtle seemed more like a tortoise... Ace was...

"How did you do that?" asked McGonagall seeing the humongous purple turtle on the boy's desk.

"Absolutely no idea, sensei."

After the meal, it was Charms, they were tough about the joy charm. Harry had a bit too much power in his and Ron, who he had been partnered with, had to be removed for constant laughing.

When the students were back at their Tower to study, Ace had to go evaluate Haki for the first years.

'

'

Tuesday, they had Care of Magical Creatures, and had to keep alive some verapace. While the trio was trying to reassure Hagrid, Ace was taking a little revenge from Malfoy by drying the idiot's creature.

In the afternoon, Snape quite happily gave a zero to Harry for his Confusion Drought."

Ace was exempted from Astronomy, but had to take the second years through the Haki test. He could not keep himself from smiling seeing Luna get out of it perfectly clean.

Wednesday morning, while Harry was doodling on the witch hunt dreaming of a sundae, Ace was making fourth years suffer, before joining the third years for the afternoon in the greenhouse. There, he was questioned about various plants. After all, he was supposed to be a War Mage under formation.  
Right after, was the fifth year Haki, under the eye of an intrigues academic watcher who was just discovering the class. Once the task was completed, a demonstration was asked of Ace by the examiner, to see if this was at least possible. The man was pretty chocked to see Ace fly around the obstacles without even opening his eyes.

Thursday morning, was the last day of the exams.  
Defence against the Dark Ages.  
An original exam, quite similar to an outdoor obstacle course where almost every creature viewed in class was waiting for them.  
Harry and Ace both managed to get full grade.  
They watched the others, and Ace could not understand how the young girl could cry seeing a boggart mimic McGonagall to tell her she had failed everything.

"Hermione, really, you cry for the dead, not for a bad grade." sighted Ace.  
"But..." started Hermione.  
Ace was about to interrupt when they got to the top of the stairs leading back to the castle, and could see a strange character.  
The character jumped when he saw them.  
"Hello, Harry" he said. "I suppose you're coming back from an exam? Already done?"  
"Yes, I managed to survive Haki."  
"The what? Oh, you mean this strange new class tough? I heard that the teacher was a young future War Mage. How is he?"  
"He happens to be right under your nose, ossan. Dare da omao?" asked Ace frowning.  
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" asked Fudge.  
"This is the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, Ace." introduced Hermione.  
"Karameru?"  
Hermione tried not to laugh and shook her head.  
"It's his name." she answered.  
"Ah, soka."  
"Please excuse him, Ace's translation bracelet does not work all the time." said the young witch.  
"This is Portgas D. Ace, Apprentice War Mage and Haki master." Harry introduced.  
"Oh, I see. Nice to meet you."  
He presented his hand but Ace ignored it.  
"You stink of corruption and fear. I have to go exam the sixth year after lunch, and after supper, the third. And finally the seventh years tomorrow, and then I'll be able to breath. Ja ne, minna."  
"Try to breath a little, Ace..." suggested Hermione.  
"Pot... Kettle..."  
And Ace disappeared out in a corridor.

Harry was perturbed because tonight, Buck would be executed, but also by the strange behaviour of the Divination teacher. He ate very little, at least until Ron and Hermione reminded him that they had their last exam: Ace's.

Fearing the worse, they all gathered in a big room where Ace was waiting for them, calmly sitting on a chair, a notepad in his hand.

"Is everyone here? Perfect. Please put your things away and leave some space between you. The room is large enough, don't worry about it."

Students lined up their things against the wall.

"Those who have glasses or other fragile objects, please leave them in your bags."

Harry unwillingly removed his glasses and moved forward, half blind, toward a corner of the room.

Ace mumbled a spell and moved his want and the students were blindfolded.

They would have the time to finish the task and go support Hagrid. Ace would even be able to stay with the giant, his special status allowing to stay out past sundown.

"Is everyone ready?" asked Ace kneeled in front of a case.

A positive mumble was his answer.

"Well, do try to survive."

He opened the case and a dozen small bludgers of multiple colour flew out.

Harry breathed as slowly and calmly as he could, opening his spirit as much as possible. He muffled a pain moan when something hit his shoulder, leaving a clean colour trail.

One could always count on Ace to torture them until the last minute.

Right.

Without knowing why, Harry listened to the strange voice that told him to move right side. He could feel something graze his arm immediately after.

Ace, still on his chair, avoided without thinking a bludger and smiled seeing some students able to awaken their Haki. Apparently, being magical could help a little...

Hagrid opened his door to see Ace wearing all black (his winter clothes as he said) knocking on his door. Ace seemed unnerved. An unknown voice had mysteriously appeared at lunch, and Harry and Hermione's had doubled.

"Konbawa, sensei. May we come in?" asked Ace.

"We? Oh, hum, I see... They should not have come, and you should have stopped them."

"Stop someone from doing the exact thing I would if the roles were reversed?"

They entered the man's house who was shaking. The door was closed and Harry removed his cape, revealing Ron, Hermione and himself.

'

'

Hagrid did not seem to know where he was, his sadness was overpowering him. But Ace was not thinking about that. Scabbers was here.

Hagrid offered them tea with shaking hands, and he dropped the milk pot that shattered.

"I'll fix it, Hagrid." said Hermione hurrying to clean it.

"There is another by the counter."

Perfect chance.

Ace got up toward the counter to take the pot, while the conversation was following it's flow.

"Dumbledore tried." said Hagrid sniffed. "Sadly he does not have the power to void the decision of the Commission. He told them that Buck wasn't dangerous, that no one was hurt, but they are scared... You know Lucius Malfoy... I supposed he might have threaten them... And Macnair, the executioner, is an old friend of Malfoy... At least it will go quickly... And I will be by his side..."

"He will be grateful for that, Hagrid-sensei." confirmed Ace while grabbing the milk pot Scabbers was hiding.

"Dumbledore will still come... when... when it will be done... he wrote to me this morning. He said he wanted to be... to be there for me. A nice man, Dumbledore."

Hermione hid a sob, barely containing her tears.

"We'll be here as well, we will stay." she said.

But Hagrid disagreed.

"You need to go back to the castle." he replied. "I told you, I don't want you to see that. In any case, you shouldn't even be here... except Portgas, since he is part of the staff and has extended rights. But if Fudge or Dumbledore see you here, Harry, you'll be in trouble..."

"I saw more than one execution, I have solid nerves, Hagrid-sensei" sighted Ace remember the few public executions he assisted to pay respect to rival pirates.

He also thought back as his own, and shook his head. Dipped his hand in the pot to pull Scabbers back out... who did not go willingly.

"Ite!"

"Ace?" asked Hermione.

Ace put his finger in his mouth to hide the flames that were healing his bite, and looked at with regret Hermione take the milk pot and look inside.

"Ron! It's... It's incredible! Scabbers!"

Ron looked at her, not understanding.

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione hurried toward the table and flipped the pot over. Screeching and fighting frenetically. Scabbers fell out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" said Ron. "What are you doing here?"

Ace furiously crammed his hand in hit pant's pockets, mutely raging. While Ron tried to calm his rat, Hagrid got up, his usually coloured face was ghost white.

"They are coming." simply said Ace despite his back toward the door.

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned to see the group of adults walking this way. Hagrid made them leave by the back door, then looked at Ace.

"I have no reason to leave, and all the right to be here." Ace told him.

Hagrid seemed to to understand that there was no one more stubborn than Ace.

The adults entered the hut, while the trio's voice was going away.

"Ah, I see you kept your word, young man." smiled Dumbledore looking at Ace.

"It's sad to see an innocent die this way. Especially when he was provoked."

Malfoy opened his mouth to talk when...

Thud

Thud

Thud

Ace raised an eyebrow, recognizing the symptoms from the Haoshoku in the three man's unconsciousness.

Dumbledore looked at Ace before briefly shaking his head.

Weird things where happening here, extremely weird

'

'

Harry had not felt the threat. Quite the opposite...

The dog's washed eyed seemed familiar, and for a quick second when their eyes met, Harry could swear he hear an apology, right before it dragged Ron under the Whomping Willow.

The only threat he could feel was the tree who was trying to kill Hermione and him.

"What do we do?" asked Hermione. "Who can say what that dog will do... Do we have time to get anyone?"

They both jumped back right as they would have been squashed by the tree's attack.

"That dog won't hurt him." breathed Harry.

"How do you know?"

"I don't know... I think... I think the dog is Sirius Black..."

"Harry, do you understand what you are saying! I know we think he is innocent, but we're not there yet!"

Harry grabbed Hermione par her shoulder, looking straight in her eyes.

"I know it's crazy, but I feel it."

"Harry... I'm scared..." confessed Hermione.

"Don't forget Haki. If Ace can feel Black in front of the Fat Lady from the Great Hall during the Halloween Feast, he must be able to feel up to here from Hagrid's hut! We saw what he could do, he is a threat, whatever the target, he will act."

It was true, Ace was there to protect Harry, he had been revived for this mission.

"So, we need to get past the Whomping Willow..." breather Hermione.

"How many times did you get hit in Ace's exam?"

"Three... and you?"

"Once. Shall we risk it?"

The two teens looked at each other, and took a deep breath. This was quite similar as what Ace made them do time and time again. Run and avoid the hits.

It was so easy to imagine their friend twirl in the branches, laughing sadistically.

Hermione grabbed Harry's sleeve, shacking slightly.

"This is like any of the exercises..." she mumbled to calm herself.

"We breathe in, extend our senses..." completed Harry.

A head nod, and they both ran head first toward the tree. They pivoted and turned to dodge the branches, jumped in the air to avoid another, crunch down and so on, slowly getting closer to the trunk. They slid inside the roots to find a low ceiling tunnel.

"Are you all right?" asked Harry to Hermione right behind him.

"Yes, and you?"

"Yeah. This is the first time that I can thank someone for repeatedly having thrown stuff at my face. Maybe I should piss off my cousin to continue my training this summer."

"Where is Ron?" asked Hermione in a terrified voice.

"This way." answered Harry walking forward in the tunnel.

"Where is this leading us"

"No idea... It is mentioned on the Marauder's Map, but Fred and George said no one has ever used it. The map does not specify where it leads, it must be close to HogsMeade..."

The duo were moving as fast as they could, almost folded over on themselves. Some weird green fireflies could be seen on the ceiling, lighting the tunnel. It seemed as long as the one leading to HoneyDuke. Harry, breathless, was really wondering what Sirius, assuming he was indeed that black dog, wanted from Ron and why he grabbed him that ferociously.

After a few minutes, they could finally feel a slow incline, then the tunnel was turning. In front of them, they could see a slight light filtering through an opening.

The duo stopped a few seconds to get a normal breathing back, before prudently walking the path, a hand on their wands.

A wide crack in the closed door allowed the to see an extremely dusty and messy room. The floor was counting numerous spots, all the furniture was in pieces and the windows where barricaded with wooden planks.

Harry threw a quick look at Hermione. She seemed terrified, but still nodded slightly, to go forward.

Harry slipped inside and looked around. The room was empty, but there was an opened door on the right which seemed to lead to a dark corridor. Hermione suddenly grabbed his arm. Her wide eyes were focused on the closed windows.

"Harry," she mumbled, "I think we are in the Shrieking Shack."

Harry pointed toward a chair that was broken in multiple pieces, especially one of the feet seemed to have been teared off.

"Ghost don't break chairs..." he slowly added.

'

'

At the same time, there was a crack over their heads. Something moved on the second floor. Both looked at the ceiling. Hermione grasped Harry's arm with so much strength he started to feel tingles in his hand. He turned to look at her with a wondering eyebrow: she made a new head sign and let him go.

They walked through the open door as quietly as possible, moving forward in the broken down staircase. A thick dust was spread all over, except for one wide line on the ground showing something had been dragged upstairs.

They came up to the second floor landing, swimming in darkness with slight green fireflies light.

One door was slightly open. They heard a noise behind the wall. A low groan. The two students closed their eyes to be able to focus their Haki... There were three people and... something else... an animal? Hermione pullet Harry's sleeve. They exchanged a nod, and Harry entered the room first.

Crookshanks was laying on a beautiful but dusty canopy bed and started to purr even harder when it saw them. Beside it, Ron was curled up on the ground, grasping his leg which seemed to be at an odd angle.

Harry and Hermione rushed to his side.

"Ron, how do you feel?"

"Where is the dog?"

"It's not a dog..." groaned Ron, jaw stiff from pain. "Harry, it's a trap..."

"I don't know" was Harry's answer.

"What?!"

Harry got up to look at the mean in the dark corner, who closed the groaning door behind him.

A thick dirty mop of tangled hair falling on his shoulders. A skeleton look, except for his sharp eyes rimmed by dark circles. He seemed to have a waxy complexion and such tense skin it seemed you were looking at a corpse's head.

He seemed to have a sad look on his face.

"I should have guessed you were going to come after your friend" sighted a guttural voice. "Thank you for not having called any of your teachers, that is going to make everything a lot easier."

It was the same voice that had talked to Harry few days prior, while breaking into the Gryffindor's tower.

"I can only assume I get this from my dad." was Harry's answer, clenching his fists.

Hermione wanted to pull back Harry, but he made a small sign that it would be alright to let him go.

"I am not going to do anything. I still want to believe the innocence theory." said Harry.

"Since it is partially my fault, it is like I sold them myself."

"Why did you attack Ron then? I don't understand!"

"He is not the one I want to kill!"

Hermione shielded Harry, to protect him from the strange man.

"If you want Harry, you will need to go through us first!" she said.

"No, there will only be one death tonight!" was Sirius' answer.

Steps could be heard from the lower floor and Ron howled to get the attention of whoever it was. The door opened, slamming wide open, and Lupin came in the doorway. He froze, seeing the scene in front of him.

"What? Were you hopping for us to be fighting? Even if Harry does look alike James, I doubt he has his upbringing, and I just got out of Azkaban, therefore I would rather avoid fighting. Especially with him."

"I know you are capable of the worst, Sirius. Where is he?"

Sirius nonchalantly pointed toward Ron, who seemed surprised.

Scabber's shriek was all that Harry needed to understand what had happened. All the puzzle's pieces seemed to click in place...

"I understand..." whispered Harry, but his friend cut him short.

"IT'S NOT TRUE!" screamed Hermione while Lupin just hugged Sirius like a lost brother.

Both adults turned toward her.

"You... You..." stuttered Hermione, wide eyes pointing toward Lupin.

"Hermione..." started Remus.

"You and him!"

"Hermione, please calm down..."

"I haven't said anything to anyone!" exclaimed Hermione with a high voice. "I kept your secret..."

"Hermione, please listen to me!" exclaimed Lupin. "I will explain..."

"Hermione, let him talk..." said Harry trying to calm her.

"NON!" exclaimed Hermione. "Harry, don't believe what he tells you, he is the one that helped Black to get in the castle, he also want to kill you... Ace was wrong about everything... he was naive! And Lupin is a werewolf!"

There was a heavy silence. All eyes were on Lupin who seemed surprisingly calm, despite his pale skin.

"You are usually brighter than this, Hermione." was his answer. "Here you only have one truth. I did not help Sirius to get into the castle, I have absolutely no intention of killing or hurting Harry, and Hiken was right on all points..."

A strange quivering sparked on his face.

"But despite all that, I will confess I am a werewolf."

"I know." was Harry's answer shrugging his shoulders.

"What?!" were Ron and Hermione's twin reaction.

Even Remus was surprised.

"I was curious about the name Portgas gives you, and your own way of calling him. I still have not understood the "Fire First", but I learned that okami means wolf. Therefore you are either an undeclared animagus, and your animal shape is a wolf, or you are a werewolf. I got the confirmation about the werewolf part after Snape's class.

"That is when I made the connection..." mumbled Hermione.

"He must be delighted." answered Lupin in an icy tone. "He gave that homework in the hope that someone linked it with my symptoms. Did you consult the lunar calendar and noticed that I am always sick around the full moon? Or maybe you noticed that my Boggart is a moon."

"Both." mumbled quietly the young Gryffindor girl. "I would have suspected before, had I the same idea as Harry and consult a Japanese-English dictionary.

Lupin had a forced laugh.

"Never had a met a witch as bright as you for how old you are, Hermione. I am sorry that Hiken does not qualify in this, sadly, even though he knew what I was from our very first meeting.

"How is that possible?" chocked Ron.

"He told me he often fought with wolfs when he was a kid, to recognize their odour and their voice, even though I think you know more than I the difference between mine and a normal human's."

It's true that if Harry focused on Lupin, he could hear some sort of extremely low growling, mixed with a light singing of the teacher's vital energy. And if Harry focused more on Sirius, who just sat on the canopy, seemingly exhausted... Sirius' voice was deeper than Lupin, but there was none of the growling. Just a light barking from time to another, like a dog.

"If you did not help him, than how did you know he was here?" inquired Hermione.

"The map." answered Lupin. "The Marauder's map. I was studying it in my office..."

"You know how to use it?" wondered Harry.

"Of course, I know how to use it." replied Lupin. "I am one of it's craftsman. Moony, that's me, that is my friend's surname when I was a student here.

And that is why Ace had answered 'Obviously' when Harry told him Lupin knew what the map was.

"I was studying it, when I noticed all of you going to to Hagrid's, with the addition of a certain 'Gol D. Ace'. Knowing only one Ace, I deduced that it had to be him. I assume wince he is the only one that is allowed since the curfew does not apply to him. You were following him with your invisibility cape... don't look at me with those eyes, Harry, I saw James do the same many times... and even until it, you still show on the map. So, I saw all of you walk down to Hagrid's and enter. You left a little later, leaving Hiken, but with one more."

"Peter Pettigrew?" asked Harry.

"Exactly." answered Remus.

"Harry! Portgas was crazy when he got to his conclusions! That guy is dead!" exclaimed Ron.

"No, Ron... that solution was right there, right under our eyes... Portgas was probably thinking it since the train's incident. He said so, that something was wrong. He was talking about the compartment! After that, he never liked Scabbers... Pettigrew was a rat, right?"

"You are as bright as you mother," commented Sirius with a light smile.

"But Scabbers is a rat! You're mad, Harry!"

"He isn't wrong... No one would have noticed a rat run away from a crime scene." Hermione thought out loud. "And Scabbers' is missing a finger.

"He must have lost it fighting with other rats." said Ron.

Bam!

Everyone turned toward the door and the two newcomers, one of them unconscious.

"Shitsurei shimasu!"

Ace was standing in the doorway, a wide smile on his lips. Snape lying by his feet, half covered by...

"Hey, my cape!" exclaimed Harry while picking it up.

"Never leave your things lying around." smiled Ace. "I'm disturbing you all, I believe?"

"How did you find him?" wondered Sirius.

"Nothing gets away from Haki."

"You attacked a teacher, you're going to have issues!" exclaimed Hermione.

Ace looked at her and burst out laughing.

"Come along, I'll wait for you at the exit, thank you for not touching the fireflies, they burn."

"What do you know about it?" asked Ron.

"I'm the one that installed them. I'll wait for you downstairs!"

Ace grabbed Snape and brought him along.

"Wait! You ask no question, you have no reaction?!"

Ace half turned toward him, raising an eyebrow.

"I already had the chance to get clean with Black, the night of attack on the Fat Lady's. I followed him all the way here tonight, to face him. What I saw proved me that he was not an assassin."

Ace turned back toward the door.

His own hands were dirty enough to recognize another assassin.

He dragged the unconscious Rogue along.


	12. Playing with Time

Chapter 12: Playing with Time

_**Warning: swearing.**_

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

* * *

Ace woke up on edge, painting.

He stayed still in darkness, trying to get his senses under control. His left eye only perceived pitch black. What the hell happened?

"An astounding story... Truly astounding... Quite a miracle there has not been a single death... Never head of anything quite like this... What a luck you were there, Snape..."

"Thank you, Minister."

"That will grant you at least Merlin's Order, second class. First class, if I can manage to!"

"Thank you very much, Minister."

"Quite a bad cut you got there... Black's work, I assume?"

"Well, this one I can thank Portgas for, Mr. Minister..."

"_No!_"

"Black bewitched him, just like the other three. Quite dramatic, from his strength and knowledge. He is a future War Mage after all..."

Ace ignored the end of the discussion, he could remember what was happening after... Lupin had not drank his potion, and transformed when exiting the Shrieking Shack. Peter took advantage of the situation to run away, and Ace and Sirius fought to get the werewolf under control... until the Dementors got there. He tried to push them back, with Harry's help once he joined them, but to not avail...

The D. Quickly looked around. Harry and Hermione, both in a hospital bed, were awake. It's by discretely looking around that he understood why he couldn't see from his left eye: a bandage.

Ace was tired of listening to the conversation

He straightened up, and started to undo the bandage.

"Don't touch it!" said Mrs. Pomfrey.

"Oh shut up!" roared Ace while pushing her back.

He got out of bed and removed the bandage. Harry and Hermione also got up. Harry took his glasses.

"Quite the scar, Portgas." commented Harry when his classmate's left eye was finally free.

Ace touched his cheek. The eye was fine, but the skin...

"Well, shit, I look like Shanks now..." groaned Ace. "I don't dislike the guy, but that's no reason to. Are you going to see the Director?"

"What are you going do to?" asked Hermione, concerned.

"It's obvious, to save an innocent. For once I will do something positive."

"Everything is right, lay back down, we got Black. He is locked up in the highest tower. The Dementors will kiss him anytime now..."

"WHAT!?"

The trio's cry could be heard through the door, a mere moment later, Fudge and Snape but irrupted in the room.

"Harry, Harry, what is it? You should really stay in bed. Did you eat your chocolate?" asked a worried Fudge.

"Mr. Minister, please listen to me!" implored Harry. "Sirius Black is innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his death! We saw him this very night! We can't allow the Dementors to do that, Sirius, he is..."

But Fudge nodded his head with a pale smile.

"Harry, Harry, your mind seems slightly muddled, you just lived through something quite terrible. Lie down and rest. We're taking care of this..."

"YOU NEVER TAKE CARE OF ANYTHING!" screamed the boy. "YOU ALREADY ARRESTED AN INNOCENT!"

Hermione wanted to explain the situation again, but her lack of confidence was taken advantage by Snape.

"URUSAI!" raged Ace.

Silence.

"You are disappointing me, sensei..." hissed Ace looking at Snape.

The young pirate looked at Fudge and grabbed him by the collar to easily pull him from the ground, his eyes full of rage.

"You are about to do a huge error because you are botching your job! You have three conscious witnesses, all telling you that Sirius Black is innocent! But noooo... you prefer to avoid having to apologize to the public 'Sorry, we fucked up and wrongfully convicted an innocent man to long tortuous years to Azkaban'! You did not even investigate! You did not let the man even defend himself! You're no better than those fucking Sengoky, Kizaru and Akainu! You're only a little shit who got an important and influencing job by mistake! And god was that a mistake!"

"Ace, calm down, you're catching fire!" stopped Hermione.

"Tch."

Ace released the Minister who quickly and shakily went away from the young man. Flames were dancing on his shoulders from his anger. Hiken breathed deeply and the flames disappeared.

"Mr. Minister! Professor!" exclaimed Mrs Pomfrey with rage. I must ask you to leave. Potter, Granger and Portgas are all my patients, they must not be disturbed!"

"We're arguing for nothing with those dumb-asses who won't listen to anything!" roared Ace. "And some wonder why I despise adults! You can put this chocolate piece where I'm thinking, and pretty damn deep!"

"This is no way to talk" reprimanded the nurse while trying to get him to eat the chocolate, after getting Harry to half choke on his.

The door opened and Dumbledore entered.

"One sane person in this crazy world? Or another dumbass?" groaned Ace while pushing the nurse back yet again.

"We can feel your murderous intent from the hallway, young man." commented the director.

"For God's sake!" exclaimed Mrs Pomfrey, raging. "This is an INFIRMARY. Director, one must..."

"My deepest apologies, Pompom, I must have a word with Mr. Potter and Portgas, and Miss Granger as well." calmly replied the old man. "I just talked with Sirius Black..."

"I assume he..."

Snape stopped himself seeing the silver eye snap on him.

"One more word about that story, if it's to do anything else than defend an innocent, and I will unleash the full power of Haoshoku onto you." hissed Ace.

"I would like to speak specifically to Harry, Ace and Hermione." brusquely said Dumbledore. "Cornelius, Severus, Pompom, you may leave."

"Director!" mumbled the nurse. "They need care and rest!"

"I am sorry, but this can not wait, I must insist."

The nurse reluctantly moved back toward her office, at the other side of the room, before loudly shutting the door. Fudge looked at his big gold watch.

"The Dementors must have gotten here by now." he said, seemingly happy. "I will go meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you there."

He walked to the door, pulled the door open and held it for Snape, but the dark man did not move.

"I hope you don't believe a single word of Black's Story?" mumbled Snape fixing Dumbledore.

"I wish to speak to only the three students." repeated the Director.

Snape took a step forward.

"Sirius Black proved, at the tender age of sixteen, that he was able to commit murder." he said in a deep whisper. "I hope you did not forget that, Director? You did not forget that he tried to kill me?"

"When we are young, we all screw up. If you're looking for a real killer, you have one right beside you. Sirius doesn't have what it takes.." commented Ace folding his arms over his chest. "Out!"

Severus looked at Ace, who was looking close to a murderous wraith, and left the and left the infirmary.

When the door finally shut, everyone left looked at Dumbledore.

"You have a plan, Ossan?"

"Yes. I know I am neither your captain, nor the First Commander to ask you to do anything, young man, but I am asking. May you save the innocents, and avoid futile wounded. That must change from your usual, doesn't it, Taisho?"

Ace removed his shirt and stood straight up, almost at attention.

"Nibantaï Taïsho Portgas D. Ace at your service. I am listening, Ossan."

"Good, now listen to me until the end. There is absolutely no proof that can confirm Black's story, except your testimony, and the testimony of three young third-year wizard will not convince anyone. We are able to reopen the case with all of the data Portgas found, but it would be too late. Pr. Lupin could be a witness, but he is deep in the Forbidden Forest, and if we wait for him to get back in his human form, it will be too late. Furthermore, werewolf are usually not trusted, so his deposition wouldn't count for much. And since Sirius and him are old friends..."

"But..." started Harry.

"Let him finish!" hissed Ace.

"Truthfully, Snape's version of the events is a more convincing than yours."

"And all his actions are acting against proving his innocence..." commented Ace. "You are disappointing me, Ossan. I was expecting better from you."

"Oh, but I do have more. What we need, is a little bit of time..."

The old man's eyes traveled from Ace, to Harry, to finally rest on Hermione.

"But..." started the young girl. "Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed with widening eyes.

"Commander, will you be able to locate him?"

"Yes." answered Ace, understanding what this was truly about.

"Very well, I will lock the door. It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should suffice. I ask of you to listen to everything your fellow Gryffindor will ask of you. He is used to desperate times. You know the law, the two of you. No one must see you. You understand what is at stake, do you not?"

"Yes, professor." said Hermione.

"Good luck. I'm leaving them to your care, Commander."

"If they don't go crazy, they shouldn't be any harder to manage than my fleet, or my brother." was the pirate's cryptic answer.

Dumbledore nodded and walked to the door. He turned one last time:

"No question to your fellow. Obey him without question. It is not yet the hour to reveal this secret."

He left and locked the door.

"Granger, now." said Ace with authority.

"What?" inquired the confused boy.

"Come here, Harry."

Hermione fetched something form under her shirt, and remove a long skinny golden chain from around her neck. She made sure the two other students were included in the chain.

"Ready?" asked the girl.

"Whenever you want." answered Ace.

"What are we doing?" asked Harry, completely lost.

"Play with time." was Ace's reply.

Hermione turned the hourglass three times.

The infirmary seemed to fade away. Harry felt like he was flying backwards at an extreme speed. There was twists of colours flying by their very eyes. You could hear your heart beating in you ears. He tried to scream, but wasn't able to hear his own voice.

Suddenly, he could once again feel the ground under his feet, and his vision was back to normal.

They were now in the entrance wall, standing. The place was void of people, and the some sun rays could be seen though the glass. Harry looked at Hermione with fear in his eyes, but did not have the time to ask anything before Ace removed the necklace and dragged them in an empty classroom. Well, almost empty.

Luna Lovegood was there, making a strange orange hat flip between her arms.

"You forgot this, Taisho" she smiled. "You look quite peculiar with your new scar."

She put the hat down on one of the table and left, closing the door behind her.

"What the..." mumbled Harry.

"Don't worry." told Ace, while going to look at his face in the closest reflective surface, grabbing his hat on the way. Granger resumed the situation.

"We went back in time." she muttered, putting the hourglass back under her robes. "We came back three hours."

"But..."

"Shut up!" hissed Ace.

He moved to the door and opened it a bit.

For pairs of feet could be heard through the Great Hall, coming downstairs.

"You're as discrete as elephants in a porcelain store..." said the sarcastic voice of Ace from outside the door.

"Shhhh... You'll give away our position!"

Harry looked gobsmacked. It was his voice!

Ace closed his eyes to focus on the voices moving around. He must be the first human to hear it's own voice... that was strange. He plainly ignored Potter's question about the Timeturner. He was quite baffled about not hearing anything, coming down, since the other two were far from silent.

"Shut up, or I'll throw a Hiken your way." hissed Ace, pissed.

That was efficient against Hermione.

Nothing moved, until Ace went to open the door.

"Let's go."

"I don't understand why we need to go back in time to save Sirius." commented the witch.

"Dumbledore might want us to change something, but what?" wondered Harry.

"Both of your questions are stupid." said Ace while walking down to the Great Hall. "How will you come up the seven floor, when it is time? We are here to save Buck and, once we do, we will be able to free him and allow Sirius to run away."

He looked there way.

"Why is Dumbledore calling you Commander?" asked Harry.

"Harry! Dumbledore said NOT to ask questions! It's for a good reason!" reprimanded Hermione.

"You won't tell me you're not intrigued?! A guy our age, to be called a Commander?!"

"You know nothing about me Potter. Let's stop here."

He quickly signed to hide behind the doors to the Great Hall, looking outside.

"Potter."

Harry joined Ace, who pointed the greenhouse.

"Run to there. We have to get as close as possible. Once you're hidden, don't move until we get there too. Now!"

Harry ran as fast as he could and quickly hid away, as asked, behind the greenhouses, catching his breath. Hermione was quick to join him, and hardly a few seconds later, Ace was there. He looked beyond the greenhouse, waiting to be sure that Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ace of the past would not see them, and motioned to the other two to go toward the forest.

"Now, we get as close as possible to Buck, but still hiding in the trees." ordered Ace.

"How are you staying so calm?" inquired Harry.

"This is no harder than infiltrating a high place, knowing that we have a high price on our head. And that, in the sole goal to steal Garp senbei's reserve." mumbled Ace. "Hide."

The trio hid behind a thick tree. They could hear steps, then knocking on the door, and some of the conversation.

"This is the weirdest thing I've ever done." whispered Harry.

If only he knew...

"We could free Buck now, no?" asked Harry.

"No, otherwise they will blame Hagrid-sensei. He needs an alibi and to do this, they will need to see the hippogriff first." replied the pirate.

"Aren't we risking discovery from Haki?" wondered a stressed Hermione while the other versions of themselves entered the hut.

"We cannot hear our own voices Here, I feel myself as a stranger. Since I do not feel any danger, I will not do anything." Ace reassured her. "Ah, and here is the discovery of the traitor."

Indeed, here came the noise of broken dishes.

A few seconds later, one could here Ace swear.

"He must have burned his tongue, trying to bite you." commented the witch.

"Good for him. Stay here, Potter. We don't know how our other selves could react seeing a copy. Yes, I know, your parent's assassin, but even if you care so little about your voice, wait for us to be done with Black and Buck."

"But..."

"That's an order, Potter."

Harry closed his mouth. He wasn't tempted to disobey Ace.

"We're about to come out." pointed Hermione.

Right then, Fudge, Dumbledore, Macnair and Malfoy were starting their descent toward the shack. A little after, the trio left from the back door, hiding under the cape. The adults entered.

"Now?" asked Potter.

"Not yet." answered Ace.

He was waiting for Macnair to notice the hippogriff's presence, before releasing Haoshoku.

Three deaf noises could be heard and a smile crept unto the lions' faces.

"Go ahead, it won't last long." said Ace.

Harry ran from cover directly to Buck. With a little difficulty, he managed to drag the beast with him, while the remaining conscious people in the hut tried to awaken the fallen ones. Harry raised his head and saw... Ace.

The brown headed was looking at him like that, impassive, before throwing a ghost of a smile, and a wink toward him, before looking back inside the hut.

Harry ran over to the woods and confronted Ace.

"You never told me you saw me!"

"I was more focused on trying to know who was that weird voice I was hearing." commented Ace while grabbing Buck's leash. "Let's go deeper in."

Easily dragging the rebellious hippogriff behind him, the young Commander led the wizards a little further in the forest. Some place they would not be heard.

"Where is it? Where is that beast?!" exclaimed Fudge.

"He was attached right here! I saw him! He was here!" completed Macnair.

"This is quite extraordinary" commented Dumbledore with his usual twinkle in his eyes. "Have you seen anything, my dear Portgas?"

"Nada. Other than a few birds sharing pumpkin remains with Buck, nothing at all."

The executioner slammed his ax into a pumpkin.

"Someone unleashed it while we were unconscious! We must search the park and the forest!"

"Maaa. I didn't see anyone." commented Ace, hands in his pockets, trying hard NOT to look toward the forest. "But since Buck has wings, if I was the saviour of the nice fellow, I would have left flying to the sky. Let's be logical, no one ever look up."

He tried to keep a straight face.

"Hagrid, I would like to have a nice tea cup. Or maybe some Fire Whisky."

"O... of.. Of course, professor." answered Hagrid, who seemed unable to hold in his happiness. "Come in..."

"Ace my dear, would you share a drink with us, it is in the marine culture after all..."

"Ore was kaizoky. I never say to to alcohol!" smiled Ace while following Dumbledore into the tiny giant's house.

Hermione threw a reproachful look to Ace.

"First, it's extremely dangerous not to have told Harry that you saw him, and second, what did you do? And third, what did we say about alcohol?"

"I'm withing drinking age, don't worry."

"I got pretty scared for a minute..." confessed Harry.

"Nothing bad happened, so stop worrying so much. What time is it?"

Hermione pulled her sleeve up to see the watch.

"We still have two hours."

"Perfect, let's move closer to the Willow, to see where we're at. But stay hidden by the forest."

"How can you stay so calm?" wondered Hermione, baffled.

"For now, no life are at stake, I don't see any reason to stress."

The two younger Gryffindor looked at each other, then followed Ace.

They got the edge of the Forest, then the Whomping Tree, right on time to see Sirius attack Ron and drag him under.

"It looks even worse from here." commented Hermione.

"Your Haki seemed to have progressed, I am even tempted to increase your mark." smiled Ace, watching Harry and Hermione jump and dodge the branches before getting to the roots.

Right after that, Dumbledore, Fudge, Lucius and Macnair went by the Whomping Willow, getting a sight from Hermione who wished the Director could be with them.

Harry turned his head, watching Ace climb a tree.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Getting comfortable. We have to wait, therefore, let's wait comfortably. Oh, here comes Okami-sensei."

Lupin was indeed the next one to go down. He too a wide branch and touched a node on the trunk, before disappearing into the hole.

"If only he had picked up my invisibility cape... she's right there..." commented Harry.

"Do not move from here."

"But..."

"NO!"

"I'll only need a minute!"

"Ace is right, this is dangerous, Harry." tried to persuade Hermione.

Ace mumbled something and a firewall cut Harry's route. Right on time, Hagrid just walked by singing loudly. But wanted to join the giant, but one look from Ace was enough to calm the hippogriff.

Two minutes later, it was Snape's turn, who picked up the cape, and the stick used by Lupin to go down to the tower... He was followed by a black panther but did not notice it...

"There's a panther in the castle now?" wondered Harry.

"Not really..." smiled Hermione.

"You can't say, I'm really great looking." proudly declared Ace.

"Narcissistic? Isn't that going a bit far!"

"Fine, but you can't deny that panthers are beautiful creatures."

"That's you?" understood Harry. "In less than a year, you became an animagus?!"

Ace had a childish grin, before settling even deeper on the branch he was laying on. Hermione attached Buck to a tree, while the fire went out.

"There we go, we went down. And now, we have to wait until we leave..."

She then sat down, folding her arms around her legs.

For a little, there was silence...

"Harry... there is something that I don't understand..." she started. "Why didn't the Dementors capture Sirius? I remember seeing them arrive yesterday and I fainted... They were so many... and Ace was already on the ground."

"Don't remind me..." groaned Ace.

Harry sat beside her and told her what he saw: when he almost received the Kiss... and saw two silvery shapes arrive. One running, who forced the Dementors to move back, and the other by the air, who grasped some in it's talons.

"What was it?" asked Hermione.

"There is only thing that can hunt Dementors." answered Harry. "A patronus, an extremely powerful one... a corporeal patronus, was it Portgas?"

"Yes, that's what Lupin said."

"But who would have created it?"

Harry did not answer, thinking back to the people he saw, on the opposite of the lake. One of those, he thinks he knows the identity... But how would it be possible?

"A teacher, maybe?" suggested Hermione.

Ace's amused snort answered everything about that idea.

"No, it was not a professor." answered Harry.

"It needed to be an extremely powerful sorcerer, to get the Dementor's to run away... If there were two different Patronus, we can assume that they were two. If the patronus were shining that brightly, you should have seem that..."

"I saw it." slowly said Harry. I saw them... but maybe it was in my mind... I wasn't thinking clear... And I passed out shortly after..."

"Who did you think it was?"

"I think..."

Harry stopped himself. He knew what he was about to said would seem absurd.

"I think it was Portgas' father and mine." he finally mumbled.

Boum!

Ace fell from the tree. He went back on his feet and grabbed Potter by his shoulders, breathing quickly, hands shaking.

"My bastard of a father? You say you saw my bastard of a father, even though you never met him?! That man is dead before I was born, leaving my mother in shit so deep it ended up costing her own life! How could you have have seen him, as I never had the opportunity to say what I wanted to his fucking face?!"

"Ace, calm down..." said Hermione, separating the two.

Ace released Harry and walked up to a tree that he broke like it was a toothpick, from a simple punch. The young commander embraced himself in his arms, shaking from rage, and pain.

"Ore was Shirohige no musko... Shirohige no musko..." repeated Ace, like a mantra.

"I... I am sorry, Ace, but since the person looked like you, I though that... forgot it..." said Harry, embarrassed.

Hermione wanted to move closer to Ace to comfort him, but the boy's flames were preventing her to do so.

"How come you're catching on fire Ace?" inquired Harry, curious.

"That is a long story, Harry." sighted Hermione. "Since he decided to sulk, want to play a game with me?"

Harry looked at Ace who had folded over and nodded.


	13. The End of the Beginning

Chapter 13: The End of the Beginning

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

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Original Author note: This concludes Portgas' first year at Hogwarts! I thank ou all for following this story and your appreciation (it is not because the translation is published by someone else that I don't read the reviews).

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"We are coming out" said Ace.

He got up and detached Buck.

"What are you doing?" asked Hermione.

"A werewolf is about to come straight toward us... Do you really want to meet him?" inquired Ace.

This got the desired effect.

"Where are we going, Commander?" asked Harry.

"We're going to move closer to Hagrid's hut, since he isn't there. But keep the lake in clear sight, to insure nothing happens to... ourselves?"

The moon was their only light as the trio walked toward the lake, still hiding in the forest's edge. They could see Sirius take his dog form and Ace his panther's to fight against the werewolf. A stray paw, and the panther howled in pain and anger.

"That's how you got hurt..." whispered Hermione. "But..."

"Not in that shape" answered Ace, understanding the implication.

Remus finally ran away toward where they used to be, leaving Sirius and Ace alone, who took back their humane looks.

"He almost had a heart attack when I ignited myself." commented Ace with a smile. "It allowed me to cauterize and heal my eye.

"Do you ignite yourself often?" asked Harry.

"I have fire in my veins. There are the Dementors... let's see who is going to save our lives."

The dementors arrived at the same time as Harry and Hermione For a short few seconds, the students seemed to resist, then, one after the other, they lost consciousness.

Realizing no one was coming to save them, Ace and Harry jumped out of their mutual protection, wands raised.

For a second, Ace felt the subtle embrace of his beloved hands on his skin, a kiss on his neck. The laugh of his brothers and comrades...

"_Ace! Are you coming?!"_

A smile spread on Ace's lips. He was free, and happy, as much as he possibly could. And quite content to be able to have a second chance.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The two young man screamed at the same time.

From their magic wands, silver gush forth, but not simple silver fog, something dazzling. Such light that they both had to squint their eyes. A soft feather noise and a galloping sound. Two beautiful Patronus ran toward the Dementors who rapidly ran away, disappearing in the dark.

The light creatures came back toward their masters. What Harry had taken for a horse was actually a beautiful deer. It stopped on the river's edge, it's hooves leaving no trace on the soft sand. Looked directly in Harry's eyes and slightly bowed. Harry understood:

"Prongs..."

He's fingers only touched empty air.

In the mean time, Ace seemed petrified and hit by lightning at the same time, fixing the large silver bird on his arm.

Hermione had never seen such a bird. It's feathers seemed to be fire, and it was staring at Ace with half opened eyes.

A tear slowly trickled down Ace's cheek, he immediately dried it.

"Ashiteru mo, Marco..."

The bird incline it's head, closed his eyes with satisfaction and disappeared.

"Ace?" hesitantly inquired Hermione.

Bim!

"Ay!" moaned Harry, while massaging his head.

"That's for having confused me with Roger." roared Ace.

"You're crying?

"No, I'm not..."

Ace turned his head away to hide his emotions.

"A fire bird... that suits you well..." smiled Hermione. "It's still dangerous here, someone could see us."

Ace motioned for them to go slightly deeper in the forest.

"Potter saw us, but he confused us. I am not quite sure why I succeeded this time..."

"I know, it's because I had already done it!" answer Harry, excited.

"Lowe your voice." hissed Ace. "Here's Snape."

Indeed, Snape just showed himself, Ron floating behind him on a floating stretcher. He made extra stretchers and put each students on them, and Sirius, before walking back to the castle.

"We don't have long anymore. There is only forty five minutes before Dumbledore lucks us in the infirmary." stated Hermione, looking at her watch.

Ace let himself fall on the ground, his hat hiding his face, focused.

He was following Sirius' voice that was climbing the floors before being locked in a room. He regained consciousness shortly after. On the other side, Ace could feel Macnair leave to castle to get the Dementors.

"Let's go, it's that tower." announced Ace while pointing one of the highest ones. "I will mark it. Take Buck, we would be a bit too many, if four on it."

"And you?" asked Hermione.

Ace had already disappeared.

He quickly scaled the castle's wall and reached the seventh floor before the hippogriff. He threw fire to darken Sirius' window before continuing his climb upwards.

Once he reached the slots, he watched Harry and Hermione pull Sirius out of his prison and fly up to him where Buck settled down.

"You're quick, Ace." commented Hermione.

"And yet, I didn't use my wild card." confessed Ace.

Harry and her got down from Buck.

"You need to leave now, Sirius. Quickly!" said Harry. "They will get here anytime."

Buck was hitting the ground with one of his paws, and shacking his head, as if to express impatience.

"Your eye, Portgas? And the other boy? Ron? Quickly inquired Sirius.

"I saw worse, per pity, Black. And Weasley is fine. Now leave, quickly!"

But Black only continued to stare at the three of them.

"How could I ever thank you?..."

"Leave now!" insisted the three students in unison.

"We will meet again, one day." said Black. "You... Your father would be proud, Harry... Portgas D. Ace..."

"Black Sirius..." replied Ace slightly nodding his head.

"Watch over them."

"Read the Quibbler in the next few days, you should find, if I get this right, an interesting article."

"I'll try."

Black signalled Buck with his heels, and the hippogriff flew away. Ace did not let them contemplate but pulled them toward him.

"How much time, Hermione?" asked Ace while running down the stairs.

"Under ten minutes before the door is locked." answered the young girl.

Ace motioned them to freeze against the wall.

They could hear Snape and Fudge pass close by their hiding spot. Ace motioned them to keep silent, and they ran toward a new corridor.

Peeves was awarded one of Ace's Haki covered fist in the head.

"Haki?" whispered Harry, looking at Peeves unconscious behind them.

"Yes... How long?"

"Still four minutes! We'll never be there on time!"

Ace grasped the two students by throwing them over his shoulders and ran down the corridors, until the infirmary.

Dumbledore was in the slightly agar door.

"No question to your fellow. Obey him without question. It is not yet the hour to reveal this secret."

Ace dropped his charge on the ground, just as Dumbledore was locking the door and turned to them, smiling.

"So?"

"Mission accomplished." assured Ace.

"Sirius ran away on Buck." answered a smiling Harry.

"Sir..." started Hermione.

"I know you have many question for your friend, but this is not the time. Later. It is his story, he may not want to twist the knife in this particularly painful scar. What about the infirmary, Portgas?"

"We left."

"Perfect, congratulations to the three of you. You may go rest, I will lock you back in. Oh and the 'Tsuki no Hime' asked me to give this back to you."

Ace grabbed the book and the tone dial that Dumbledore was holding for him.

"Arigatou."

The three students silently slipped inside the infirmary and the door closed on them. Each went back to their bed, seemingly happy to enter them.

"What are you listening to this time, Ace?" asked Hermione while the young man was putting his headphones in.

Ace activated the denden and smiled.

"The Dark Lady. A story about a pirate ghost ship... Lumos."

And he put his lighted wand in his book, in a way that he would be able to read lazily. A little after, Pomfrey came out of her office and walked toward them.

"Has the director left? Will I finally be able to take care of my patients now?"

She seemed in an especially foul mood.

.

.

She stared at them while they ate their chocolate. Ace basically inhaled his without protest (while also trying not to get it all over his fingers), while Harry and Hermione seemed to struggle after their fourth piece.

That is when a furious howl could be heard throughout the castle.

Ace hid a smile, while the two others hid behind their chocolate.

"What is it now?" wondered the nurse both worried and upset.

Angry voices could be heard, coming closer to the infirmary, making the nurse turn toward the door, wrath on her face. If they continued like this, the entire castle would be awake.

"He must have apparated, Severus. We should have left someone with him in the room. When this is going to spread..."

"HE CANNOT HAVE APPARATED!" roared Snape, who was now close by. "IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO APPARATE WITHIN THE CASTLE! I AM SURE THAT POTTER IS IN ON IT!"

"Severus... be reasonable... Harry was locked..."

Bam!

The door to the infirmary swung open.

Fudge, Snape and Dumbledore irrupted in the room. Only the later one seemed perfectly calm. He almost looked amused. Fudge seemed angry, but Snape was absolutely livid.

"THIS IS IT, POTTER!" he screamed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" hissed Mrs. Pomfrey. "Control yourself, I beg you!"

Ace was silently supporting Mrs Pomfrey from his corner, but only Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore saw him.

"Please, Snape, be reasonable." said Fudge in a placating tone. "The door was locked, they couldn't have..."

"THEY HELPED HIS TO RUN AWAY, I KNOW IT!" screamed Snape, pointing to the three students.

"What do you want, it seems Black had to answer the Jolly Roger's call..." said Ace.

Snapes' face seemed to convulse in anger.

"Please, calm yourself!" said Fudge. "What you are saying does not make sense!"

"You read too many pirate stories, young Portgas." commented Dumbledore.

Ace stayed unfazed.

"YOU DO NOT KNOW POTTER!" persevered Snape. "HE'S THE ONE THAT DID THIS! I KNOW IT'S HIM!"

"Enough, Severus." said Dumbledore. "Think a little. This door was locked from the instant I left the infirmary, barely ten minutes ago. Mrs Pomgrey, did you see the students leave their beds?"

"Of course not." answered the woman, exasperated. "I did not leave them since you left!"

The story was done.

Ace was bored by conversation and decided to turn his focus back on his reading. He still listened, through his music (now a song boasting pirate's life) that the Dementors had to leave the castle once for all. A great thing. No more reminder of Marine Ford.

When the visitor finally left, Mrs Pomfrey walked back to her office, and Ron woke.

.

.

.

Ace released the seventh year students and stretched out, breathing deeply.

Nothing left to do, except to choose which grade to give. He exchanged a nod with Percy who was leaving and went to collect his own things.

That is when Potter came running into the room.

"Portgas!"

"Nani?"

"Lupin is making is bags! Snape told on him!"

Swearing under his breath, Ace hurried to pick up his things and followed Harry in the hallways. All the way to Lupin's office which door was wide open. He was almost done packing his bags. His head was looking down on his desk and he only lifted it when hearing Harry knock on the door.

"I saw you come." said the werewolf with a smile.

He showed them the parchment on which he was looking. Ace had a sad smile. The Maraudeur's Map.

"I just hear that you were leaving up... how come?" inquired Ace.

"I am afraid I gave my resignation." sighted Lupin.

He opened his desk's drawers and started to empty it's content. The two boys noticed that he was limping.

"But why?" asked Harry. "The ministry did not think you had anything to do with Sirius did they?"

"That would be the icing on the cake... that guy is useless..." hissed Ace.

Lupin closed his door.

"It's because Snape-sensei let slip you second face?" asked Ace. "I am disappointed..."

"We had it coming. Whether it be James, Sirius or me, we were far from nice to him during our school years." sighted Lupin.

"You can't leave just for that!" exclaimed Harry.

Lupin had a weary smile.

"Tomorrow morning, around this time, the owls send by concerned parents will start to arrive. They will never want their children to be taught by a werewolf. And after what happened yesterday, they have every right, Harry. I could have bitten any of you... Ace was hurt... this cannot happen again."

"No sane student would run after a werewolf. And I got hurt because I haven't been able to use Haki with my animal form." answered Ace. "And since I can see you are still limping, I would say we both made some hits. I wear my scars with honour. They are part of my past, not a reason to be ashamed."

Lupin's smile was still sad.

"You are the best teacher we ever had!" said Harry. "Don't leave!"

Lupin silently nodded his head, and continued to empty his drawers.

"From what the Director told me this morning, the two of you saved the lives of multiple people yesterday evening. If there is one thing I can be proud is the progress you both made. Can you tell me about your Patronus..."

"I have seen your phoenixes, so I cannot compare them directly." said Ace. "Your are... different from what I know."

"Oh, really? What is your idea of them?" inquired Lupin, curious.

Ace closed his eyes, seeing his beloved Phoenix form.

"A huge bird, with feathers of fire, turquoise and fold... That is what my Patronus is. A bird, symbol of freedom, and fire... which is what I am..."

"I see... Your Patronus must be quite beautiful to see."

"It really is." confirmed Harry.

"Your deer is quite elegant itself, Potter." replied Ace. "Tell him."

Harry described what had happened. When he was done, Lupin was smiling anew.

"Yes, your father would morph into a deer. You guessed right... That why we nicknamed him Prongs."

Lupin threw his last few books in his suitcase, closed his drawers and turned toward Harry.

"Here, I grabbed this back from the Shrieking Shack, yesterday evening." he said while holding Harry's invisible clock.

Lupin hesitated, then also gave him back the Map.

"I am no longer your teacher, and as such, I cannot feel bad to give this back to you... I have no use for it, and can only image it would be useful to you..."

Harry took it with a smile.

"You told me that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs wanted to trick me out of the school... You said they would find it funny."

"It's true." answered Lupin, closing his bag. "I am absolutely positive that James would have been extremely disappointed if his son did not discover a single of the secret passages that allow to leave the school."

Someone knocked on the door. Ace went to open while his fellow Gryffindor put the cape and map away.

"Ah, I see you finished the exam of the seventh year." said Dumbledore to Ace.

Ace nodded.

"You cab is at the door, Remus."

"Thank you, Director."

Lupin took his suitcase, and Ace grabbed the aquarium.

"I'll help you." said the D.

Lupin nodded and gave a last goodbye to Harry.

"Well this is it." concluded Remus while Ace slipped the aquarium into the back of the carriage.

"Thank you for having taught us." said Ace while bowing. "It's the first time I go to school, I am happy to have had a teacher such as yourself."

"It was my pleasure, Ace. I thank you for having kept my secret for so long."

"I know what it is to be an outcast, sensei."

Ace bowed once more and started to go away, but Remus called him back.

"Since we probably won't meet again, would you allow me to ask a few questions?"

Ace hesitated, then shrugged.

"How old were you when you died? And why did you?"

"Soka..." sighted the young man.

He looked at the ground for a little, then to the man in front of him.

"I was twenty one. It was a bare few days before my little brother's eighteenth birthday. I was sentenced to death for piracy, but also because I am the son of a notorious criminal. That day became a war between the Marines and the King of the Oceans. Two steps away from freedom, my brother fell, and was about to be killed... I didn't think, I interfered. It was the only think I could do. Save the one that gave me everything, the first, that gave me a taste of living."

Ace unbuttoned the top of his shirt, revealing his scar.

"I took a magma fist through the chest. I died with tears and a smile, with the only regret to not be able to witness when my brother will achieve his dreams."

"I see..." replied Lupin. "Meeting you was something quite unique, Second Commander Portgas D. Ace. I hope to see you again."

"Same goes here, Sensei."

"Please watch over of Harry."

"You're asking an infamous pirate... you're not scared of anything. Nevertheless, I will. Iterashai."

And on those last words, Ace turned back. He had a meeting with Dumbledore waiting.

.

.

"This is ludicrous! Don't keep such an information to yourself!" roared Ace, moving all his weight on Dumbledore's desk.

"I agree with him, and you know it. The world must know this information." a strangely supportive Snape added, seated in front of the Director.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, I cannot. First, it would endanger thousands of people who never asked for it. Second, it would also give an opportunity to Tom's faithfuls to bring their master back at his full power."

"And the poor little people who are in danger?! How are they going to defend themselves? By barricading themselves in their home and wait until it's too late?! Why aren't you sharing this, at least with the Minister?!" raged Ace.

"Many of Tom's inner circle are now close to the Minister. Per example, Lucius Malfoy... Trusting Cornelius for even a shred is risking to give knowledge to the enemy.

"At least give the information to a few trusted people in the government, k'ssou! I'm a pirate, I shouldn't be the one telling you how to save your country! And Potter?! He needs to know! He has that bloody think in his own head! And no one wants to explain to me what it is, and nobody is doing anything for him to get rid of it. It could even kill him!"

"I will make no comment on that." announced Snape.

"Nor did I expect you to, sensei."

Dumbledore sighted and removed his glasses to massage his nose.

"If I am hesitant to bring Harry in confidence, it's in the hope for him to be able to live as close as a normal teenage-hood as he can, before he must face his destiny... There is also that if Tom ever manages to come back, through Harry, though involuntarily, there would be a way to know."

Ace straightened up, thoughtful.

"I am no magic expert, far from it... but is there such a think that allows one to split some of his soul into something else... or something like that?"

Snape gravely nodded his head.

"Horcrux. The darkest of the arts. After killing someone, a wizard can divide his soul to anchor it into something... this way, he can avoid dying, since a part of his very soul will still be lodge on this Earth."

"So, Snake Face made an Horcrux into Potter?"

"And the only way to get rid of it, is by killing Harry." sighted Dumbledore.

Ace let himself fall back in his seat, sighted heavily and started to think harder.

"Have you previously found this kind of object?" asked Ace.

"Unfortunately, a diary that was, until then, in Lucius Malfoy's possession." answered the old man.

"Malfoy was in the inner circle of Snake Face?"

"One of the important members, especially in the financial department..." answered Severus. "Why do you ask?"

"If Snake Face gave a piece of his soul to that man, it is possible, in the eventuality that he made others, he entrusted them to some of his closest ass-kissers..."

That left the two older wizards thoughtful.

"The Goblins do no like this kind of magic any more than we do. I will try to see with the Bank's director, if it is possible to search the Death Eater's vaults. At least those that are currently in Azkaban, to verify this possibility." announced the Director.

"About Potter... Is there a way to protect him from what's in his head?"

"Occlumency. Which you will never need. Is the art to close your mind to external intrusion." answered Snape. "Especially against Legilimens. I will teach you Legilimens as of next year."

"Is there books about this?"

"A few."

"I would like to access them. If I manage to grasp the idea of Occlumency, maybe I'll be able to teach it to Potter, which would protect him."

"And how do you hope to convince Harry?"

"I raised by myself, seven years during, my little brother. If there is one thing I learned, is that to get someone to do something, nothing works more than the idea of the final reward. If Potter learns that, once his mind is protected, he will have access to information that are kept from him for a long time, then... I am quite positive he would be more than happy to submit to the training. I will also make sure he learns how to fight without a wand. It will increase the likelihood of his survival."

"You seem to have planned quite a packed summer." commented Dumbledore.

"I also want to continue here. Potter will not survive, in the current state of things. And since everything indicate that the only way to get Snake Face six feet underground is with Potter as his adversary, I will do all I can to insure he will have every tool at his disposal. Sensei, with the books, could you add some shinai, and two bo?"

"With great pleasure." assured Snape.

"Potter stopped being a kid the day he lost his parents. He needs to be treated like an adult and stopping to cover for him."

"I am afraid I disagree with you about this. He is barely thirteen."

"That is when I killed someone for the first time, in the middle of Grey Terminal, to prevent my brother's rape. On another subject, I think there is something foul in the castle... extremely foul..."

"I will search it from top to bottom." was Snape's solemn answer.

.

.

"It should be published this summer." announced Luna on Hogsmeade's platform on their way back to London.

"This is the address where I will be living" Ace told her while giving a piece of paper.

"I will send you the paper in preview." said the young girl, taking the address.

"My greatest thanks to your father for accepting to publish this."

"If it is about putting an incompetent leader back in his place, there's no trouble, Taisho. Have a nice summer."

"Thank you, same goes for you, Tsuki no Hime."

They both boarded the train. Ace quickly found an empty compartment, and took out a book and his music. Like on the way to school, the Golden Trio came to sit with him.

"Did you plug your mind back on your health?" asked Ace looking at Hermione.

"Yes. No more Muggle Study."

Ace nodded, ignoring the next conversation. He was happy to focus on his book, slightly humming along the music.

"How about you, Ace?"

Ace pulled his head back and blinked.

"Nani?"

"What will you be up to this summer? My father always manages to get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, using the ministry contacts! You could come!"

"No thank you, I'm not big on Quidditch." answered Ace.

"Where are you going to spend your summer?" asked Harry.

"In your neighbourhood, from what Dumbledore told me. A Squib is going to host me."

"I didn't know there was a Squib close to me." confessed the boy.

"Now you know. If you ever have issues with your family, come get me. It will be my pleasure to _negotiate_ with them!"

Ace's smile seemed demonic, which made the three others laugh out loud.

"Oh and by the way, the Firebolt, Sirius is the one that asked me to buy it."

"How did you manage that?" exclaimed Ron.

"Hi-mi-tsu!"

Once the train reached it's destination, one could find it funny how they learned Potter had a godfather, and exactly who he was.

Then...

"Weren't you supposed to have a class that might kill you?" groaned Vernon.

"We'll see each other this summer, Potter!" saluted Ace with a wide smile, his hat deeply embedded on his head, hiding most of his face.

"Would you be able to train me? Since you won't be far?" asked Harry.

"No problem! If you're nice, I might even initiate you to Busoshoku!"

And Ace disappeared from the station.

"He is actually the teacher for that class! A war mage in formation, and with enough strength to break a fat tree with a single fist. And he's going to live right in the neighbourhood!"

Vernon managed to look even more horrified, which was quite hilarious.

"My godfather would not be happy to know that I cannot see one of my friends..."

Yes, this summer would definitely be awesome, from what he could gather on his uncle's crisp white face.

'

'

'

Translator's Note: This is a little earlier than usual. Hopefully it will make someone smile today.


	14. Potter's Strange Summer

Chapter 14: Potter's Strange Summer

This story is written by Zialema (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

'

T/N (aka Translator Note) This chapter was massive haha

'

'

Breathe in,

Breathe out,

in

out...

Ace adjusted the earpiece while he was running around the neighbourhood. He had stopped counting the laps, but Mrs Figgs, the squib that was hosting him, counted every time the young pass was passing in front of the window, allowing him to still have the final count.

He was overfilled with energy, and that was rather bad for him. He was not one for calm situations. In Hogwarts, he could climb the castle's exterior walls, fight in the Forbidden Forest or even go train in the Come-and-Go room.

But here, barely two days after arriving in Little Whinning, he was already on edge from the lack of action.

And when he was on edge, he became insomniac. And an insomniac Ace is an irritable one. Who says irritable must say flammable, in the notorious case of one Portgas D. Ace.

Ace stopped when he saw some fourteen years old block his way. He didn't need his Haki to know that a few others were cutting his retreat behind his back.

"Look, a newbie, Big D!" laughed one of the boys.

One of the brat's in front of him came closer. It was bad if, at his age, and for his height, he could already compete with Dadan. Except Dadan actually had muscles, despite this boy.

"Where ya coming from?! This is our territory!"

Ace blinked.

"Dare da omae-tachi?" asked Ace.

"And a foreigner at that!"

"Only thing it was missing!"

The one called 'Big D." grinned and on his signal, the two boys behind Ace moved forward, like they were making sure he wouldn't be able to leave or defend himself. Unfortunately for them, the park was empty... and the pirate was quite intent on letting his frustration show.

Ace's arms sprang up and grabbed the two zealous kids behind him, throwing them in front. A quick kick into the leader's stomach and he was now folded in half, before getting a swift knee in the face. Turning on himself, Ace let his arm straight as a whip, knocking out the one boy who had gone back up.

The pirate's position changed slightly, becoming more swift, his hands open and ready.

His smile was absolutely terrifying.

Those fools chose the wrong adversary.

.

.

Vernon was speechless seeing his son covered in bruises.

Seated in corner of the living room, Harry tried to hide his satisfaction from his cousin having bitten more than he could chew by attacking someone stronger than him and his gang.

"Where does this delinquent live?!" scold Vernon.

"I... I don't know." mumbled Dudley. " All I know is that he is a foreigner."

"What does he look like, Duddy?" inquired Petunia.

"Fairly tall, slim, dark hair... he had tattoos. Chains! And another on his upper arm!"

The two adults were talking to each other to know how to find the stranger when Dudley screamed:

"It's him!"

He was pointing to the silhouette of a young man that just ran past their window.

Vernon went outside as fast as his corpulence would allow and to challenge the young man.

The family followed him out.

"Hey, you, kid! Come here that I can see you!"

The boy was already a fair distance away and therefore by calling him out, Vernon grabbed the attention of most of the neighbourhood.

Harry's eyes opened wide when he recognized who was coming forward. He should have known he though... But he had said... but to see him now, here, like this.

In front of them stood the infamous Portgas D. Ace, in all it's magnificence, in a simple yellow short sleeved shirt, dark shorts and combat boots... Never forgetting his inimitable orange hat with smileys and his pearls. Well, actually that was new, Ace was wearing a necklace with rather thick red pearls around his neck.

"Konnichiwa, ossan. What may I do for you?" slurred Ace, casually stopping in front of the man.

"Why did you attack my son, you good-for-nothing brat!? Where are your parents, you criminal in the making, that I may talk to them about your actions!"

"Nani? _I_ attacked you son? Who the hell told you this bull...? Tss... so ka... kono buta went to cry in his momma's skirt when he realized he wouldn't be able to beat me up."

"Do not insult my son! And Dudley is not delinquent like you who already has tattoos! It's because of people like you that society is where it is! Where are your parents?!"

"I don't have any. And lower your voice, k'ssou yarro, I'm right in front of you. And screaming at me won't help anything."

"YOU ARE GOING TO SHOW ME MY DUE RESPECT YOU...!"

Harry had appreciated the show up to now, and decided to intervene:

"Hey, Portgas, I see you met my cousin..."

"Heya, Potter! Hisashiburi! Genki?!" exclaimed Ace, all smiling and happy.

"If I'm guessing that you asked me how I'm doing, then fine."

Harry moved closer to Ace, trying not to laugh from the violet looking uncle and the pale Dudley and Petunia.

"Boy... you know that delinquent?" asked Vernon trying to stay calm.

"I haven't introduced myself, my name is Ace. Ace D. Portgas... is that the right order?"

Ace looked toward Harry who nodded his confirmation.

"Portgas is a foreign student who came to my school last year." explained the boy to his family. "He gives martial art classes in a club. Which do you do, again?"

"Karate, Taewondo, Thai boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Kung-fu, Aikido, Capoeira, Krav Maga and a few others. Your cousin can be happy, I could have hurt him a lot worse. Do you think he understand that one cannot just go around attacking people in the street?"

"Sa na... that's what you say, no?"

Ace laughed out loud and looked toward the Dursley again.

"Anything else? No? I'll go on my way to continue my jogging. Potter, if you're still up for Busoshoku, I want you here tomorrow morning, bright and early, 5am."

"No problem, I'll be there, Portgas. Wood's training would be worse."

"Ja ne."

"Ja ne, Portgas."

Ace put his headphones back on and started to run away, not caring of the Dursley.

"In." ordered Vernon in a strangled voice.

He gave both a nervous and hypocrite smile to the neighbours who came to watch the exchange, while Harry and the Dursley walked back in Four Private Drive.

Once the door closed, Vernon pointed to the living room and Harry went in without protest.

"Sit down." said the huge man.

Harry sat in the couch, breathing deeply, all his senses and mind open, like he had learned to do in class. Meanwhile, Dudley and Petunia went to the other, Vernon started pacing in front of Harry.

"That..."

"Yes, I know him." guessed Harry. "Portgas grew up in Japan and came to Hogwarts last year! He teaches Haki."

"That boy is a teacher?! In addition to learning those freak tricks and other abominations, they choose kids for professors!" whistled Vernon.

"Haki is a fairly unknown technique and has nothing to do with magic. Even your dear Dudley could use Haki if he was willing to go through Portgas' course. In addition, Portgas is not just any student in the school, he is a War Mage. Which is some kind of super mercenary soldier in formation. When you know he can break a tree with a simple punch or kick, crumble a stone wall thick like a man with a single finger and find it amusing to do his morning exercise by running around the only tree in the world that can be qualified at deadly aggressive, one would wonder who would be stupid enough to attack him. And I intend to train with him. Therefore, tomorrow, I will be outside with him for the training he suggested. More than a few students in Hogwarts would love to learn a second Haki technique. But if you disagree, I can always send a letter to Sirius, you know, my godfather... they are good friends, the both of them..."

"Don't play with me, boy. We know you cannot do you freak spells outside of your freak school!"

"Oh, but Portgas do not need magic. And Haki is technically not magic. So?"

Vernon frowned deeply.

"Oh, I think I forgot, he was also in the army, despite his age. He doesn't talk much about himself, but Dumbledore calls him Commander... Therefore, can I go back to Sirius' letter letting him know I will learn a new Haki technique, or not?

"Go and tell him we let you do it to your... godfather." squeaked Vernon.

"Thank you!"

Harry squished down a yawn when meeting Ace outside the next morning.

.

.

"Ohayo gozaimasu ! Hajimemasho ?"

"Right, hey..."

"We're gonna start by a jogging. I have a timer, we will see how long you last, and will try to increase the time as we go. Afterwards, you'll take all your magical things in a bag I will give you, and we're going away for the rest of the day."

"When do we come back?"

"When I'll choose to. We'll eat together over there."

"I don't have money..."

Ace grabbed inside his pocket and brang out a few bills.

"Your uncle should really thing better than to walk around with so much money loose is his pockets..."

"But that's theft!"

"So? You prefer to starve, like every other day?

Ace had a point.

.

.

Harry dropped himself on an empty bench in London, leaning his wooden weapon beside him, arms sore. No, not his arms. Everything in his body.

"Here." said Ace, holding him a snack.

"Thanks... You're not eating?"

"Iie. I have to much energy to spend to be hungry."

Ace climbed on the back rest of the bench, looking at the sky while Harry was eating.

"Portgas?"

"Hmm..."

"When will you let us know who you are?"

"Sa na... Hermione already knows a lot about me. Don't ask her any questions, but if there is something that needs sharing, she will share it with Weasley and you."

"Why Hermione?"

"She was the only one to understand the real truth about me, and came to ask me for confirmation. And I know for a fact that, her, the secrets, she keeps them to herself."

Harry couldn't avoid reddening.

"What's that weird bracelet?"

Ace looked at his wrist and pointed the log pose.

"Sore wa log pose. Similar to a compass. Where I'm from, usual navigation tools don't work because of unstable electromagnetic fields. Therefore we use these to avoid getting lost. The needle attunes to the next island's field and it will not change until we are on it. Once you're on an island, the time needed varies but it will not point to any other direction until it's done.

"You don't have planes, trains or boats to travel?"

"Mostly boats. I never saw planes before I got here and trains, are possible but rare. I live where the sea is omnipresent.

"Where did you live, exactly, if you visited so many islands? You must have had a home of some sort..."

Ace closed his eyes a few seconds.

"_Moby Dick._"

"The whale?"

"Iie. It's a ship. A huge ship with a shape that reminds a whale. That's where I lived some of the nicest years of my life... before seeing everything burn in front of my very eyes..."

His hand automatically went to his chest.

"The ship was destroyed the day I got this scar. If you're done, we'll done some of our homework, before resuming the training."

"It's by hitting with a wooden sabre that I'll learn Haki?" wondered Harry.

"Some of the greatest fencing masters can decide, with their sharpest blade, whether to slash through something or not. To slice steel, but not a simple paper sheet. That is a skill extremely close to Armament Haki. But we're going to use a slightly more direct approach."

"Which?"

"You need to hurt me. I'll let you in on something, Potter, but don't share it with Weasley yet. From what I saw, it's going to end badly between him and I if he learns this and reacts like an imbecile. Hermione is aware, therefore, you can discuss it with her."

"Humm, all right..."

"I'm not exactly human."

"And I'm Merlin!" was the boy's sharp answer.

"I'm serious, Potter. Hold this."

Ace gave him his hunter knife and put his hand flat against the bench.

"Slice my hand with it."

"You're crazy!"

"Don't worry about me, just do it."

Harry hesitated and ended up doing as asked, reluctantly.

Ace did not frown, keeping one of his half smirk half smile on. Harry removed the knife and opened his eyes wide when he saw flames lick around the wound. But that wasn't it, when he removed the knife, there was only skin. The blade was now hot, really hot, but that wasn't it. There wasn't any blood.

"I receive this power. It makes me a fire man, yes two words, a few years ago. In exchange, I am weak in water, in a deadly aspect."

"And you're swimming sessions in the lake?"

Ace fondled around his pockets and removed a small coral.

"I have this. Imagine a big air bubble that envelops your whole body and allows you to swim, while protecting you against the water. Finally, the link with Haki, is that short of you diving me in water, you will never be able to make me bleed, except if you use armament. Example."

Ace took his knife back, it darkened with haki, and slightly sliced his hand, making it bleed slightly.

A short time after, pouf, the flames raced around it and healed the cut.

"But if you have this power, how did you get hurt?"

"Akainu has a power similar to mine... but with magma. The fire is not as powerful, unfortunately. That's all I'll say for now, let's work."

.

.

They repeated this every day.

Every morning, Ace went to get Harry. They then went to run, fight – both fencing and hand to hand – before working on their school work. Even though Harry was ecstatic not to have chores to do, and the low amount he would see the Dursley, it was still hard. Ace was a harsher teacher than he was in Hogwarts. Every night, Harry came back exhausted. If the door was locked when they came back, Ace forced it open without frowning. From there, Harry only had to climb up the stairs and collapse on his bed.

"You are so obstinate about teaching me how to fight?" inquired Harry on of those days.

"You know what is waiting for you, right? Snake Face will come back, that we both know. What I'm doing, is teaching you more than one way to survive. Currently, you have none. I'm simply increasing your luck by a few percents. To survive, you need to be strong, and to go through with your dreams. I learned that the hard way."

They never spoke of this again.

Harry seemed to less inclined to protest. He wanted to survive. And if it meant he would be able to resist his cousin's blows... who was he to refuse?!

With all the exercises, Harry slowly noticed that his body was changing. He was tougher, more muscular, stronger. Not as much as Ace, but more than before. Lifting something that would have made him wince not that long ago was now easy. Ace kept pushing him always over his limits. He made him run further and longer day to day. He hit harder and quicker. He was making him improve, cheering him with some language that would have made a drill sergeant jealous.

After three weeks, they manages to push up to Hermione's, in a residential neighbourhood.

"Are you sure it's here?" asked Harry.

For sole answer, Ace pointed toward the mailbox with the name Dr. Granger, before pulling him to the door.

"Furthermore, I can hear her _voice_ inside. I also looked in the phone book!"

Ace moved forward shy-less and rang the door.

Harry stayed slightly behind, perplex.

A woman opened the door.

"Konnichiwa, Oba-san. We are friends with your daughter, is she available?"

Ace bowed, keeping a smile on his face.

They could hear the stairs, like someone running down them, and the woman moved sideways.

Impact in three, two, one...

"ACE!"

Boum!

Ace suddenly found himself with an armful of Hermione, returning her hug with a smile.

"I recognized your voice!" told him the girl. "Harry!"

Potter was next to be strangled by a hug, the happy girl in his arms.

"I wasn't expecting you! What are you doing here?"

"Portgas is torturing me." confessed Harry with a wide smile.

"Can you introduce me your friends, Hermione?" asked her mother, motioning them to enter.

Hermione dragged both boys inside and her mother closed the door behind them.

"Mom, I often talked about Harry Potter, well, here he is!"

"Good morning Mrs. Granger, sorry to come by unannounced." apologized Harry, slightly embarrassed.

"And this one is our torturer, Ace D. Portgas."

"Oh, yes, please introduce me as a torturer." sneered Ace. "My pleasure, Granger-san."

Ace bowed again.

"He grew up with a Japanese culture." explained the girl.

"Oh, I see. Do you want to drink anything?"

"Oh that would be great, mom. We're going in my room! Come along, Mr the Suvivor and Hiken-taisho!"

"Aya, aye." was Ace's answer.

"Should I tell your father that you are bringing two boys in your room?"

"Mom!" offended Hermione.

Hermione's mom burst out laughing, leaving the trio.

They walked upstairs to the young girl's room and Harry could not refrain from commenting:

"Weirdly, I though you would have more books than this..."

That got him a slap behind his head.

"This is actually a great timing, Ace, I wanted to show you something. Could you read this, and give me your opinion?"

Ace grabbed the sheets that Hermione was holding for him and quickly speedread them.

"Hmmm... omoshire... Haki theory. I'll read this. If I don't come by before Hogwarts, I'll give you some feedback using Potter's owl."

Hermione and Harry sat on the girl's bed and Ace at her desk, only to sit his arms against the back rest.

They talked quite a while, laughing a little, until Hermione's mother came by with cakes and drinks.

"Quick, let's eat them before Portgas can see them!" mocked Harry.

Ace's only answer was pulling his tongue toward the boy and thanking the woman.

"No, there is no sake in this house, don't even think to ask, Ace." grumbled Hermione.

"I said nothing. I like orange juice." was the pirate's answer.

"Can I sit with you?" asked the mother.

"We have nothing to hide, mom. Other than what we don't know, right Taisho?"

"You are more likely to see me become an anorexic vegan than to get me to tell you what I don't want to, Hermione."

"Gnagnagna!"

"They're always like that... Sometimes, Ron and I think Portgas is a bad influence on her..." confessed Harry to Hermione's mother, a little shocked of her daughter's behaviour.

"Why would I be responsible of everything that's wrong?" falsely offended Ace.

"Aren't you the one that swore revenge on some Salamanders, last winter during the Care of Magical Creatures?"

"Wasn't that your idea?" Ace asked Hermione.

"I can't remember, but Gods it was fun!" smiled Hermione.

"Indeed it was..."

"My daughter, having fun in class... that's a first." confessed her mother. "Tell me, young men, are you also in that Haki class. If think that's how it's called."

"Yes, why? Inquired Harry.

"I'm worried about the way the class is taught... To get hit..."

"Humans' are still animals. An animal acts on instinct. If we don't let it perceive threats, it doesn't learn to avoid it. Haki allows instinct to develop in a way that we can fore-feel threats." explained Ace. "It is because there is no 'nice' way to learn it that the signed authorization is mandatory for that class."

"He's the Haki's professor, Mom. When we see what happens once you master it, we don't feel like complaining anymore." commented Hermione.

"Toward the fourth class, one of the student's got sick of being hit and tried to hex Portgas in his back. Portgas avoided the hex, only to throw it back to the caster. Without ever turning toward him." recounted Harry.

"Granger-san, you should be relieved I'm the one that teaches it. If it was my grandfather, you wouldn't have a daughter anymore. I still wonder how I survived all those years with that old fool." explained Ace.

And then he shivered.

.

.

Ace tried not to seem rude when the Weasley matriarch hugged him deeply. Harry, in the kitchen, threw a compassion look his way.

"You must be Ace, I have heard many things about you. By Merlin, you're as skinny as Harry! Your parents don't feed you?!"

And the three Weasley facepalmed.

"Ace is one of the biggest eaters in the world, mom... and he never gains anything!" commented George.

"Well, you gotta see the exercise he does... Up every morning at 4am to run around the Whomping Willow, otherwise it's no fun." added Ron.

"You, you must be suicidal..." added an unknown redhead.

"Nan, just a kamikaze... you also use the expression, no?"

"If we don't understand something, we'll ask you for clarification." Harry assured him.

"Nonetheless, you're too skinny! I need to have word with your parents!"

"May I, Ace?" smiled Fred.

"Oi! Oi! Don't touch!"

Too late, George had already lifted Ace's shirt, enough to see his awesome 6-pack.

"Even spending my life working with dragons, I will never have such muscles." whistled one of the two unknown redheads.

"You saw that, Charlie? And imagine that a single of his punches can crack one of the castle's walls!"

"I might seem skinny, but it's more that I have a lot of energy, despite the fact that I am narcoleptic, therefore, I do a copious amount of physical activity. Especially combat sports. Fat becomes muscles and everything I eat goes there."

Mrs Weasley did not seem convinced.

"Are your parents Muggles? Is that why you do contact sports? Sorry, My name is Bill, and his is Charlie."

"Yoroshiku. I never knew my parents."

"Oh, my poor boy!"

Ace looked at the Weasley non vocally imploring them to save him from their mother.

"I do not need pity! Onegai! Tasukete! K'ssou!"

And he started talking in his native language, making Bill laugh quite a lot.

"Mom, release-him." advised Bill. "I speak Japanese, and from what I gathered, he is starting to feel pretty bad..."

Ace managed to clear himself and sighted deeply.

"Arigatou..." breathed the brown head toward Bill.

"Do itashimashita."

"From where do you know Japanese?" wondered Ron.

"Gringotts required the mastery of a few foreign languages, Ronny. Japanese is part of the ones I learned."

"I'm going to make you something to eat, boys." said Mrs Weasley while leaving.

That's when the patriarch came, and he was furious.

Ace looked at Harry, who told him the incident that happened in his house, making the D laugh. His laugh doubled when he learned that the tongue exceeded a meter long.

"I think he deserved it. I met him once, I wasn't doing anything wrong for once..."

"But turning all of Slytherin's Quidditch robes pink, the day of their game against Ravenclaw, that's not mean." smiled Fred.

"I was doing my jogging..."

"How many laps of the neighbourhood where you at?"

"Sa na... I wasn't counting. He had his gang and trying to make a grab at me, because I was 'on their territory'." explained Ace.

"I saw the bruises... I was quite happy to finally see him crumble under someone stronger and tougher than him and his gang." commented Harry.

"Self defence!" said Ace, defending himself.

"But that is not a valid reason for Fred and George to have done what they did! Wait until I tell your mother!" resumed their Father.

"Tell me about what?" asked Mrs Weasley, coming back.

Two girls entered the room.

"Ace!"

There is was again!

"Why are all women on this stupid Earth throwing themselves at me, k'ssou! Hai, hai... I'm happy to see you as well, Hermione, but we saw each other the day before yesterday, may I remind you." he reprimanded the girl.

"Ron, you should show Harry and Ace where they will sleep." suggested the girl, grabbing the two brown heads with her under the mocking stare of Bill and Charlie.

"Harry already knows where he's going to sleep." Ron answered.

Behind them, the tone was rising between the adults...

"Not me." Ace slipped in, staring deeply at the two arguing parents.

"Maybe we should all go together." understood Ron.

"We're also coming!" said George.

"You stay where you are!" snarled Mrs Weasley.

The four friends slipped up the zigzag stairs quickly.

"Sorry, it's nothing luxurious." apologized Ron toward Ace seeing the pirate stare at every detail of the place.

"You have no idea where I grew up, therefore, you don't know my criterion... I find this house awesome, and I've barely here a few minutes.

Ron's ears deepened in colour.

"Otherwise, what's about 'Weasleys' Wizards Wheezes'" inquired Harry.

If the Weasley burst out laughing, Hermione did not.

While tidying up the twin's bedroom, mom found a bunch of purchase orders with Weasley's Wizards Wheezes written on it." explained Ron in a low voice. "And they had a huge list of prices for many of the inventions they did..."

"Oh! They offered me some of their prototypes at Christmas." understood Ace.

"That's crazy! How me, their own brother, can I learn such thing last?!"

"Because you're not enough of a joker, and even less observant"?" suggested Ginny.

"I love girls and their snarky retorts!" smiled Ace.

Gimmy reddened, and Ron glared at Ace.

"Not like that! Noooooooo, I like to hang, not to go out and what comes with it... But bonus point for the protective nii-san!"

Hermione laughed a little at Ace, who frowned while trying to to blush.

They continued their small talk until the door opened with Percy and his beautiful tortoiseshell glasses.

"Hey, Percy." welcomed Harry.

"Hi Harry, Sensei."

"Percy-san, a pleasure." saluted Ace. "Are we interrupting you?"

"I was simply wondering who was jumping on the stairs."

"We were not jumping on the stairs!" replied Ron in a foul mood. "We're walking upstairs. Sorry to disturb your oh-so-secret work for the Ministry."

Harry asked about what he was working, but Ron quickly taunted his big brother, who started to give details about the subject, cauldron's thickness.

"I agree with Percy-san. I think that if one day, you're making a potion, you would like to avoid them falling on your feet because the cauldron was not thick enough. Imagine the number of incidents that could cause... think of the classes, with Snape-sensei.. you could lose your foot, if not more." explained Ace with a wide smile.

Ron blushed deeply before turning white through the explanation.

"And it's to insure you keep both your feet, even while working on Potions in the dungeons that I am making this report, Ron. Now you may go back to your room." added Percy with a satisfied smile.

He looked at them go and slipped a few papers to Ace, at the end of the line, who hid them in his back, under his shirt, before the former prefect close his door once again.

They finally got to Ron's room and Ace caught the feather ball that almost hit him.

"Oh crap, Pig! Sorry, Portgas." apologized Ron recovering his mini-owl. "And sorry that we need to sleep at five in here, with Fred and George, but Percy want to keep his room and Charlie and Bill are sleeping in the twin's.

"No issue on my side." assured Ace, used to the dormitories in pirate's ships, before starting his relation with Marco, then his promotion to Commander. "I don't really need a bed. I can always sleep under my animagus form... someone wants a panther as a teddy bear?"

"You'll keep our feet warm." laughed Harry. "Where is Crookshanks, Hermione?"

"Probably in the garden, running after some of the gnomes. He never saw any before. You have more bruises than the other day, Harry?"

"Bruises? Is your family beating you?" worried Ginny.

"No, Portgas is mistreating me..." rectified the boy.

Ace said nothing, since he had another narcolepsy attack.

.

.

The four of them continued to chat for a while, before going back to the kitchen to help Mrs Weasley to cook.

"Ace! Wake up!"

Ace startled awake and got up from where he was lying down with Ron's help.

"We're going to help mom to cook, she stopped screaming." Ginny informed him.

She then led, followed by the boys. Ace was about to follow suit when Hermione grabbed his arm.

"I know what you want... wait until Ginny is asleep and meet me outside." hissed Ace.

"No, that's not for that. It's to know if the tattoo you have on your back is important for you. I learned a spell to erase scars and another to redo your tattoo. For the scars, it's fine, I can erase them because they don't come from hexes."

"I need my scars, but I would like to get my tattoo back. It's is quite precious to me."

"We'll do that at Hogwarts."

Ace nodded his head and they left the room.

After rescuing Ron and Harry from the cutlery's attack, they sat down to eat and, with the twin's complicity, Ace managed to switch his water glass with sake, which he savoured despite Hermione's reproachful stare.

"What snake, Bill-san?" asked Ace, saving Bill from his mother who was pestering him about his look.

"Hm? Oh, the ring? Horned Viper. I found it in one of my first tombs, a nice souvenir."

"Sugoi!"

"And the wristband?"

"Kore?"

"Iie."

"Ah!"

Ace removed his log pose and threw it to Bill, and they started to chat in Japanese at an impressive speed while the Weasley examined the object.

"What do you think they are talking about?" asked Ron toward Harry and Hermione.

"I don't know, but from Bill's smile, it must be both interesting and funny." commented Ginny.

Ace retrieved his log.

"You're letting your hair grow, Ace?" remarked Hermione.

"Yeah, a little, so I can tie it up." commented Hiken running his hand through his brown hair. It was a few centimetres longer than the previous year.

The meal was fairly nice, until the ice cream.

A quick look from Harry and Hermione and Ace's portion quickly disappeared into the girl's bowl, who stayed impassive.

"Is that really necessary? Inquired Harry while Ron was talking to his brother Charlie.

"If you saw how it's impossible for me to eat chocolate without getting it all over, then, think about ice cream." was Ace's answer.

.

.

Hermione woke in the middle of the night, got up and left the room, being very careful. She didn't know why she woke at this time, something she just had to do.

She found the panther's black shape in front of the door. It was its presence, no doubt about it, that made her get up. The feline got up and silently walked downstairs, followed by Hermione.

One outside, they went to sit on the ground, careful to be out of the way of any windows. Their sole light was the green fireflies. Ace shaped back in his shirtless self.

"So, what should it tell you this time?" mumbled the D.

"You're real age would be a good start." answered Hermione, pulling her legs back to herself to avoid the cold.

Ace slightly increase his internal temperature, soon enough, Hermione was comfortable enough to relax.

"When I died, I was twenty one for a few weeks. My bother Luffy was about to be eighteen in the next month.

"In the end, all of your travels, how long were they?"

"I crossed the Red Line a little after my birth. I stayed at Dawn until I was seventeen, to set sail and make a name for myself. It's an old promise that we did as kids, Lu', Sab' and me... before all the trouble."

"Sab'?"

"That was our third brother. I'm using past tense because I learned he is still alive, once I died. I can't quite decide if I want to forgive him, or stay mad for all those years...

"We were the same age, even though I was older of a few months. He was my first friend, I met him in Grey Terminal, in a huge junk pile where I was loitering around when I was tired of the jungle and watchful bandits.

"Against all odds, we became friends. We started to steal all kinds of scoundrels, in the hopes of having enough money to buy a boat and make sail. Then Luffy arrived. His grandfather, Garp, supposedly my tutor, dropped him at Dadan's. I spit in his face, and despite that, he asked to be my friend. From one thing to another, despite that from my tall age of ten, I acted like the worse idiot against him more than once, we ended up sharing a sake cup, all three of us. That is how we became brothers.

"Some time late, some of the pirates we cheated got payed by Sabo's parents, Nobles, to get their son back. We got beat up, badly. To save us, Sab' returned to his parents, where he was miserable. On our side, Luffy and I were forced to work for the pirates, putting weird boxed all over Grey Terminal... Once we were done, we discovered that we got trapped. We had, to our horror, helped in the cleaning of the zone. Waiting for a World Noble, a Celestial Dragon, Tenryuubito, as they are called in my language... We almost didn't make it. The Bluejam tried to kill us, so they could run away. That's the first time I used the Haoshoku. I just screamed, refusing to let them hurt Luffy, and they all passed out."

Ace moved a wick of his hair back behind his ear, and was toying with a blade of grass.

"The bandits came to get us, but I stayed behind with their leader, Dadan. I couldn't run away, not with Luffy behind me. I would have put him in jeopardy if I had. We managed. A few days later, Luffy and I learned of Sabo's death, by the Tenryuubito. He had run away again, but he set sea, to avoid putting us in danger. He was crossing path with the Tenryuubito's ship, in the port, and boom! The bastard shot him down, setting fire to his small boat. He was ten. Since the man was a Celestial Dragon, no one said anything. No reproach, nothing! They had to tied me down on a tree for me not do to something stupid... and Luffy was crying, right beside... Then a letter arrived. Sabo had send it before he set sail. His last words, where he entrusted Luffy to me. In that letter, he said he was finally going to be free..."

Ace closed his eyes and confessed in a strangled voice:

"That's the first time I cried. That day, I swore to Luffy that I would never die. I really kept that promises... But I couldn't let Luffy die, not after everything he did to save me. Everything he did for me... he saved me from myself..."

Hermione embrace Ace to comfort him, before he started to struggle, motioning her to release him.

He rubbed his eyes before laying on the soft grass, his arms under his head.

"Like we had agreed, I set sail the day of my seventeenth birthday. For that whole time, I raised Luffy alone, I trained him, watched over him, but always in a slightly twisted way... It got to a time where I was unrecognizable from a wild beast. A kid filled with rage... I was finally smiling. I had someone to watch my back, without afterthoughts. It was hard to leave him behind, but I knew he was strong enough to survive without me at fourteen. I made sure of that. I got my tattoo right before leaving. The S in it is for Sabo, for him to be able to travel the sea, like we agreed. A bit late, but he was with me."

"And after that... piracy?" smiled Hermione.

"Yep. I wanted to shine by myself, to get out of Roger's shadow. I became Hiken no Ace, the Spades' captain, and like many, I left to conquer the Grand Line. I had my own objective... Shirohige. An old rival of my father. I left East Blue for the Grand Line, made a name for myself all while avoiding Garp as much as I could. Once I reached mid-way, I had a price of 300 million on my head."

"That's huge!"

"In the first part of the Grand Line... Paradise, as it's called, those who are worth more than a hundred million are called Supernova. Three years after me, Luffy followed with the same values, but quite more... flagrant acts, to his name. I will tell you of my adventures, but another day."

"What happens next"?"

"That's a story for another day..."

"Pfff...!" complained Hermione.

"We need to get up quite early tomorrow, Hermione." smiled Ace.


	15. The World Cup

Chapter 15: The World Cup

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

'

**T/N:** For the user who asked the pairing, please PM me for the answer, I don't want to spoil it for others.

The translation is going well, so bonus chapter!

'

'

'

Ace came back to him, flat on the ground.

He got up, yawning.

"Shit, I fell asleep again."

He accepted a hand to get back on his feet.

"Arigatou, Diggory-kun."

"You're welcome, Portgas." assured Cedric.

"Someone that can fall asleep while travelling via Portkey... that's one for the stories." commented Cedric's father.

"Mr. Diggory, Ace doesn't do it on purpose. It's actually a serious illness." defended Hermione.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione." reassured Ace. "I'm used to it."

In the meanwhile, the Weasley's patriarch learned where they could hitch their tent.

"May I ask you a question, Portgas?" inquired Cedric.

"Hmmm?"

"No, actually, make that two."

"Ask you questions, I don't bite... at least, not yet..."

Hermione looked up to thw sky, exasperated. Ron was trying to catch up on his missing sleep using Harry's shoulder.

"What is the highest grade that you gave for Haki?"

(A/N: This is based on the French system where 20 is never really achieved. It is out of 20.)

"Twenty. Two or three seventeen, eighteens and quite a few fourteen and fifteen. But most of the grades... probably around eighty percent, are below the average."

"Twenty! Someone manage to survive your exam and get twenty!" choked one of the twins.

"That's impossible!" commented the second one.

"Luna?" guessed Ginny.

"Indeed."

"It's true, she is truly gifted..."

"I told her she didn't need me for this, but she insisted, to keep sharp. She already has it naturally. Therefore, obviously, as quick and agile as she is, and on the same criterion of evaluation as everyone else, she is above and beyond."

"Some theory on the subject really wouldn't hurt." commented Cedric.

"Hermione already took it upon herself to solve the lack of written material in the subject." mentioned Harry.

"If you succeed, let me know, I would be curious to read it."

Hermione blushed and Ron grimaced. That's where the Diggory split to go toward their own camp ground.

Ace had the time to learn about the Obliviation spell, which left him with a bitter taste, before they found their own lot. Exchanging an exasperated look with Hermione, the two separated, avoiding Harry and Arthur to start a massacre.

"Let us do it." sighted Hermione.

"Shut up and look how pros do it." said Ace.

And in a few hand tricks, the tents were up.

"I assume there is some kind of magic involved, because I doubt we're going to fit eleven in there..." mumbled Ace.

"I'm not against a new plush." chuckled Hermione.

"Hermione, you definitely have a crush on Ace." commented Fred putting one arm around each of the concerned parties.

"No, but Ace acts like a responsible adult more than a teenager. Therefore I know I can trust him, in opposition to you and your twin." the Ravenclaw-Would-Be replied.

The four friends got tasked to get the water. They left to find the closest tap, looking around them, mesmerized.

"Chinese." mumbled Ron showing a tent with some Asiatics who were staring at them while mumbling, not hiding themselves.

"No, Japs. One moment." rectified Ace.

He moved forward and accosted them in Japanese, making two of the campers go pale. They answered him in the same language.

And then a dispute erupted.

"Ace has pretty good lungs to scream so much." commented Harry.

"He looks especially pissed..." pointed Ron.

"Oh oh... Ace! Your shirt is smoking!"

"Tch. K'ssou yarro." grumbled Ace moving away and trying to calm himself.

He squited his eyes and the Japaneses' tent burst on fire.

The four did not wait for people to notice to leave.

"Why did you get angry?" asked Harry.

"They were after Hermione. One girl and three guys... should I draw you a picture?"

Hermione blushed deeply while Harry frowned.

"You're way too good to fall that low, Hermione. Don't worry." reassure Ace.

"Thank you, Ace."

"Is it me who is seeing wrong or is everything suddenly green? Ron asked.

Nope! They just found the Irish supporters.

It looks like mounds and mounds of giant clover coming right out of the ground, with smiling faces of supporters.

They actually found Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas with Mrs Finnigan.

"Oh, and Portgas... I'm staying in the class!" assured Dean.

"Awesome! I have at least one guinea pig for my weekly torture sessions!" answered Ace with a wide grin.

"You really make me think of the Cheshire Cat when you smile, Ace... it's quite disturbing, probably even worrisome..." commented Hermione.

"You're simply jealous."

"Not at all."

"U-so-tsu-ki!"

"And I'm not la liar! Bill taught me that one!"

Ace stuck out his tongue.

"Are you a foreigner, young man?" wondered Seamus' mother.

"That's him, the War Mage I told you about." said Seamus.

"Oh... was it wise of me not to give the authorization to my son to participate in your class, young man?"

"Sa na, Finnigan-san. I cannot pass judgment for you."

They started their way back, finding the Bulgarian supporters. And Ace was in agreement with Hermione, Krum really seemed grumpy.

They then arrived to the water's waiting line.

The duo in front of them was an old wizard dressed with a flowery night gown, the other was dressed in a more normal fashion, with striped pants.

"Put this on, Archie, I beg you. Don't complain, you're not going to walk around dressed like that, this is a Muggle campground, they will start to have doubts..."

"I bought this in a Muggle shop." stubbornly answered the older wizard. "Muggles do weird these."

"Women Muggles wear these, Archie, not the men! They wear things like this!"

"I will never wear that thing!" indicated the old Archie. "I like that my intimacy to breathe freely."

Hermione could not refrain anymore, and burst out laughing.

"That's not it, Hermione. Take my translation wristband." murmured Ace.

He slipped the red and white bracelet from his wrist and gave it to Hermione, who put it on.

"Hentai!" roared Ace pointing Archie with his finger, surprising everyone.

And he started to insult, in Japanese, the poor Archie who didn't understand anything, and Hermione was just laughing, not able to do much more. This even grabbed quite a crowd.

"Can someone translate?" wondered on of them.

Hermione gestured toward Ace, asking him to stop, and Ace went silent. Breathing deeply, still with a few laughing hiccups, she said:

"Mr. Archie... our friend here and quite eloquently, fiendishly renamed you a pervert. He is offended by the lack of action from the British authorities in front of such a flagrant exhibition et wonders if all English have so little care for modesty or if there are yet a few innocent youngsters... I simply translated in a slightly proper and less vulgar way what he said. I think, to avoid any further misunderstandings, you should put the pants on. I am a child from a Muggle family, and I can assure you, this is what women wear to bed, and yet, only around a specific age. It would be better for you to wear the pants that suggest your friend. Or at the very least, underwear under your dress."

The poor Archie left, shameful, with the pants under his arm.

"Thank you." sighted his friend.

"No worries." reassured Hermione. "You should thank Ace though. One second."

Ace who was nicely waiting for his wristband back, once on himself, had a wide smile.

"How was I?"

"Extremely convincing..." sneered Harry. "I haven't understood a single word, but it was pretty funny."

Ron nodded his approval.

"Thank you for convincing Archie to change clothes." thanked the man.

"With pleasure! What I said still stands true..."

"And physically impossible." said Hermione.

"No one said that the implicated organs had to stay connected to the body..."

"Then that crosses from funny to gore."

.

.

"Those matchsticks are really not disciplined." commented Ginny, blazed, watching her father trying to start the fire.

Hermione came forward to help Mr. Weasley, and noticed Ace, seemingly between pain, laugh and nostalgia.

"Something to share, Usul?" she asked a later.

"Mmmh? Oh it's just that Undisciplined Matchstick used to be a nickname one of my friend used..."

"You'll see him again."

"Iie, not the one that gave it to me..."

He moved a bit further, while everyone else was waiting for the fire to be lit, and to cook something. Hermione came to join him, putting her hand on her friend's back.

"Thatch... is dead. We discovered his body, in the morning, a dagger in his back. The culprit, Marshall D. Teach, was already far away. That's how everything started..."

Hermione rubbed his back to comfort him.

They came back to eat, enjoying Arthur's comments about the Magic Ministry figures that were passing by.

Until one named Ludo Verpey.

Then, the bets.

"Look..." said Ace, interrupting the twins. "Don't give your gold yet. From what I heard, we have rather good seats, you can give it to him if you lose. Walking around we that much gold is just begging to be robbed..."

The twins turned toward Ace and hugged him remotely.

"You're awesome, Ace!" complimented Fred.

"Dad! Can we adopt him?! Another brother wouldn't be too much!"

"I already have two adoptive smaller brothers, thanks." grumbled Ace removing himself from the twin's tangled limbs. "Write on a piece of paper the amount that they bet and we will see after the game what is what, ne?"

Ludo made a grimace, but accepted.

"And you, otherwise, do you want to bet?"

"Sorry, I have not a piece to my name, wari. Even though I usually never say no."

"Why not this strange bracelet... it must be worth a small fortune."

Ace's eyes squinted.

"It's a compass, Mr Verpey. Pecuniary speaking, it's not worth much, if we don't know how to use it." Bill explained further.

Ludo stayed with them to drink tea, until a rather muscular man with a tie came over.

The Folder Trio knew Ace enough to know he did not like that man.

The pirate kept an ear on the conversation, and was awarded a look from Percy. He had things to read. Dumbledore may have given him a ticket so he would follow Harry, but he was not remotely interested in Quidditch. When the trio announced they were going out, Ace retired to his tent, and accepted the notebook and pen Charlie conjured at his request. He then sat in one of the corner, always keeping the entry in his vision field, and started to work. He took quick Japanese notes on what Percy gave him.

The Triwizard's tournament, added to the fact that one of the three people that designed it was missing.

Something was going to happen during the tournament, he was positive.

Ace reduced to ash Percy's notes and put the notebook and pen in his blue Bermuda short's pocket.

.

.

"Finally I found you!" exclaimed Ace meeting the trio who were shopping. "I have something for you, Potter, and I am sure you know who you should read it to, other than Moony maybe."

"I'm sorry?" asked Harry, buying weird looking binoculars. "Do you want one?"

"Iee. Here."

Harry took the magazine Ace was holding him.

"The _Quibbler_? Ace..." started Hermione, exasperated. "It's all fooleries in there."

"'The Night in the Shrieking Shack' or the Truth one Sirius Black's Intentions'" read Harry. On the Cover was Sirius running after a rat.

"Tsuki no Hime is the daughter of the editor. Therefore, I told her what happened and she said she would see if her father would be interested to publish something about it... And here it is. Only a few people might believe what is written in there, but it's a few more allies. Don't spit on it."

"Thank you Portgas" smiled Harry, speed reading the article.

"Everything that must not be said was not told. I did not modify anything else."

"If an inquiry on the source of the article arises, what are you gonna do?" asked Hermione.

Ace fumbled into his back pocket and pulled a passport, holding it to Hermione.

"Dumbledore-sensei gifted this to me for my birthday. I am now a Nippon citizen. And you're going to hate me..."

"Why?" wondered Ron looking at the passport over Hermione's shoulder.

"Since I am not British, I am not submitted to the same obligations as you are... basically, I don't need to register as an Animagus!"

"That's unfair!" confessed the red head.

"I'm relived, Ace." smiled Hermione.

And she gave him back the paperwork.

Ron pulled on Harry's sleeve to show him Ace, in front of them, when they entered the official lodge. The D. Had looked the second to last row, and was watching an empty seat beside a house elf.

Harry was going to talk to him, thinking it was Dobby, when Ace walked to the creature and crouched beside her.

"Heya, kimi... genki?"

The small creature raiser her head, revealing maroon eyes. It was a house elf but not Dobby.

"Winky does not understand what Sir is saying." squeaked the elf.

"I was asking if you were alright... what is your name?"

"Winky, sir."

Mr. Weasley was looking toward the elf.

"Are you alone?" asked Hermione, joining as well.

"Winky is waiting for Master, he asked to be kept a seat in the Official Tribune... even though Winky hates heights, Winy is a good house elf."

Ace squint his eyes, aiming them on the empty chair beside Winky.

Activating his Haki, Harry felt a _voice_, invisible, right beside...

Ace got back up and to his seat.

"Keep your wands in your sleeves, he doesn't seem armed." whispered Ace to them. "Don't give him a chance to steal one."

And he installed himself, seemingly relaxed, almost layed back, but yet was on the look-out.

For the next half-hour, a bunch of personalities arrived to the tribune. When Fudge got here, he saluted Harry like an old friend and looked Ace with an obvious discomfort. The later making the young man smirk slightly.

Then, the Malfoy arrived.

"Generous contribution to medical research... my ass... how much is he paying you to suck him up?" wondered Ace squinting his eyes further.

Finally, it was Ludo's turn to arrive, and the spectacle could start, with the arrival of the mascots.

First, the Bulgarians...

"Veelas!"

Ace leaned forward with interest, and raised an eyebrow seeing the beautiful women, who could not be humane, enter the stadium, jiggling in time with the music. He still reacted immediately seeing Ron and Harry about to make fools out of themselves and with Hermione's help, dragged them back to their chairs.

"This confirms it, you truly are gay, Ace." puffed Hermione in her friend's ear.

Ace incinerated her with a look, but no one had heard.

"How can you stay indifferent to such beauty?" asked Ron, perplex.

"Not the slightest idea. Maybe because I know a girl, Boa Hancock is her name, who would make Veelas seem ugly..."

"I demand to see!" said Arthur.

Then, the Ireland's mascot appeared and, with the gold pieces showering the public, Ace could only smile. He quite liked leprechauns.

He picked one up and borrowed a Galleon from Harry, to compare them, completely ignoring the agitation around him.

"Ron-kun, it won't work." said Ace.

"Why?" asked Ron, who was trying to pay Harry back with the Leprechauns gold.

"This coin is real, look, it just fell. Mitte..."

Ace superposed them. The real one was slightly slimmer and smaller than the false one.

"Even it's voice is different. Therefore you won't have any Christmas gift for the next ten years." said Ace while given the real coin back to Harry.

And Finally, the game started.

Ace allowed his narcolepsy to take him, comfortably installed in his seat.

He woke up right in time to see the Veelas get angry against the Leprechauns and try to throw a few fireballs toward them. Ace concentrated and halfway to their target, the fireballs did an 180 and attacked the Veelas who ran away until the fire went out by itself.

"By Merlin! What just happened?!" exclaimed Verpey in his magically amplified voice.

"Hiken was around." mumbled Hermione. It went unnoticed in the crowd's uproar.

Ace smirked and watched the end of the game, while blocking his ears to protect them against the Irish's vocal happiness. He watched when they gave the trophy, then Fred and George merged right up to Verpey to get their due money.

"Oi, ossan... that is the Leprechaun's gold, not real one..." threw Ace while joining the twins.

"Young man!" exclaimed Ludo.

Ace reached his hand toward Harry, who threw a coin to him. Ace caught it and compare it to Verpey's money.

"So?" smiled Ace.

Grumbling, Verpey conceded his defeat and gave the twin real gold.

"Ace... we will forever be grateful." said the twins as one.

"I find you way to funny to let you get ripped off and do nothing. And I think I know what you are going to spend it on. I really look forward to that day."


	16. Nocturnal Panic

Chapter 16: Nocturnal Panic

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

'

'

'

Warning, swearing.

"GET UP!"

Harry abruptly woke and looked for his glasses.

"What is happening?!" asked Harry trying to understand why Ace was on edge.

"Fuckers, that's what's happening! No time to get dressed! Just grab a jacket! Arthur-san! I'll take care of them!" assure Ace to the patriarch.

Arthur nodded.

Harry was staring at Ace who just put on his shirt. He did not even put on his shoes, just grabbed his hat. And Harry knew what that meant, it Second Commander Gol or Portgas D. Ace who was with them, no one else.

He wasn't a teenager anymore, but a grown man with enough authority that one could not disobey.

They ran away in the woods and ended up split from Ginny and the twins. Ace guided them in the dark, at running speed, forcing them to move forward and not allowing them even a second to insult Draco. He still threw him a fiery gaze.

They passed some French citizen as well, before reaching a clearing. There, Winky passed by them with a weird behaviour, like she was trying to run away but Ace could feel something with her that he did not like.

"We are going to stay here until this calms down." announced Ace. "I will then be able to focus on Ginny-san and the twins voices. Get your wands out. Hotarubi..."

Green fire fireflies gushed out of Ace's hands, allowing a low visibility in the dark woods.

"Shit!" swore Harry.

"What is it?" asked Ron.

"I lost my wand!"

"You're kidding right?!"

Harry looked everywhere around him and on the ground where they were coming from.

"Take mine, we will look later." Ace instructed him.

"What? What about you?" inquired Ron.

"No need."

"I hope for you that you left it in the tent." said Hermione, while Harry grabbed the stick Ace was holding out for him.

"I hope as well because otherwise, you're not likely to ever find it."

"Don't you think that Winky acted weirdly?" asked Ron.

"Maybe she is prohibited from hiding?" suggested Harry.

Hermione started to complain about House Elves handling, despite that Ron assure her they were happy.

"Hermione." interrupted Ace before the young girl could hurt Ron.

Everyone looked at him.

"We're going to move a bit further in, we are too close to the edge. Then, I will say what I have to say."

An explosion rang on the edge of the wood, like to prove the young man's reasoning.

They took flight.

"I despise slavery as much as you, Hermione, if not more. One of my friends use to be a slave, and believe me I had to wake him up in the middle off the night from vivid nightmares/memories more than once." whispered Ace in a soft yet painful voice. "Shabaody archipelago is a turning table for this kind of traffic, with the biggest room for Slave sales that exists. I assisted to more than a few of those sales. And if the first time the only thing I managed to do, it throw up outside, the next times every sale room I found, I incinerated. It's basically a sword slash into water, but it feels good... I researched about House Elves, their history and customs. It's in both their history and nature. From what I gathered, House elves were on the edge of extinctions due to goblins, many centuries ago. They offered their services to the wizards, in exchange for protection. They were happy for their job, and it now became normal, for them, to work for wizards. Unfortunately, abuse started. Some profited out of it. Since they were protecting them, they was no risk of losing their servitors, therefore they abused the situation. Having to chose between death and abusive situation, the elves chose the abuse. If you want to change their situation, you need to influence the wizards' mentality, not elves'."

"Are you sure you're only fourteen?" asked Ron, taken by surprise.

Ace looked to him over his shoulder, a mysterious smile on his lips.

"Who said I was fourteen?"

The rest of the path was walked in silence.

They had to pressure Ron when he started to be attracted by Veelas.

They also passed Verpey, before Ace decided that they could take a break.

"I hope they others don't have too many problems..." commented Ace getting the animated Krum figurine out of his pocket and see it walk on the grass.

Ace was laying against a tree, looking for Ginny and the twins' _voice_.

"They are fine." he finally said. "I felt them. Unfortunately, we are split from them by the bothersome dummies who are fucking up the camping."

"Why don't we go get them?" inquired Harry.

"If I had been alone, crossing this clash would have been simple. But I have three people I need to look up for, and without wanting to seem mean, you don't know enough to defend yourselves alone. They are not in any immediate danger..."

"Hey!" protested the two other teens.

Hermione sat beside Ace, sighting.

"I worr..."

Ace cut her short by putting his hand and her mouth.

He motioned for everyone to shut up.

Noises resonated through the woods. Noises from hurried steps. Irregular that came from right behind the trees.

Then they stopped.

Ace kept a finger to his lips, and his eyes fixing the darkness. They could feel the presence of someone there, right in the shadow. But no one manifested themselves.

"Morsmordre!"

Ace had reacted from the very first syllable. Slamming the trio to the ground before making a move. His fireflies hurried toward the woods.

"Hidaruma!" screamed Ace while panic howls pierced through.

The explosion was violent.

"We get up, and quickly!" roared Ace.

"What the..." asked Harry while being pulled upright.

"The Dark Mark, Harry!" answered a panicked Hermione, while they started to run away. "The sign of You-Know-Who!"

They barely took a few steps before about two dozen wizards appeared, brandishing their wand toward the teens.

"ON THE GROUND!" howled Ace.

And for the second time in about as many minutes, he slammed the trio on the ground, while two dozen spells rushed above their heads. It felt like squall.

"Stop!" screamed one voice they recognized as Mr. Weasley. "STOP! That's my son!"

The spells stopped raining down.

Ace was immediately on his feet, while Mr. Weasley joined them quickly, seemingly scared.

"Ron... Hermione... Harry... Ace... Are you alright?" asked the patriarch in a trembling voice.

"Push aside, Arthur." said a dry and cold voice.

For sole answer, Ace created two fire spears in his hands. The Ministry's wizard, guided by a Mr. Crouch whose face was crisped by rage, were walking to them.

"Who of you did that!?" he pressured in a dry tone, his sharp eyed wandering on each teen. "Which of you made the Dark Mark appear!?"

Ace risked a quick look toward the sky, long enough to see that a massive turquoise skull with a snake skippering out of the house, as a tongue.

"You should stop attacking first and asking questions after, ossan. None of us did that." hissed Ace.

"Make these flames disappear, kid! You are risking expulsion!"

"I am a Japanese citizen. As long as I don't use my wand outside of Hogwarts, I don't risk anything. I can assure you I am not using my magic stick, since I entrusted it to one of my comrades, who apparently lost his on our escape from the camping ground."

"Make these flames disappear and that's an order foreigner!"

"Yada. Not until you lower your wands and you calm down. Until then, my flames will stay in my hands."

"Calm down" interrupted Arthur.

"He's the one that refuses to listen! We told him we had nothing to do with it!" an annoyed Ace answered.

"Don't lie, young man!" shouted Mr. Crouch, whose eyes made him look wild. "You are caught red-handed on the crime scene!"

"And that's how innocents finish in prison," sighted Ace shaking his head with a jaded look.

"Barty" mumbled a with in a long evening dress. "Come on Barty, they would never be able to..."

"Where did the Mark come from?" asked Arthur.

"Over there." answered Hermione in a shook voice, showing with her hand the place where they heard the voice, and were a fire was starting. "There was someone there, behind the trees... He said something... An incantation..."

"Someone was over there? Really?" asked Crouch flipping his bulging eyes to the girl, a complete disbelief expression on his face. "And he pronounced an incantation, is that it? You seem especially informed on the way to create the Mark young girl."

"Enjomo!"

The Ministry's wizards took a step back from the literal fire wall that separated Arthur and his children. From the flames light, one could see Ace's eyes took a silver shade from anger.

"I advise you to move your ass and catch the real culprit instead of scaring my friend more than you already did. The culprit was hit by one of my spells, and he has been sorely burned. But if you do noting, he will die, intoxicated either by the fumes or the fire that is spreading! So move you fucking ass!"

"Everyone please calm down, and let's go see. You can remove the flames, Mr. Portgas, please?"

The fire wall disappeared, but Ace kept the dancing flames in his hands.

"How was he burned?" inquired the witch in the evening dress, while Amos Diggory was going closer the fire to see it's progression.

"Hotarubi..."

The green fireflies moved from Ace's hand. With a motion, he sent them to the closest tree.

"Hidaruma."

BOUM!

The tree did not escape unscathed the explosion.

"Not enough to kill someone, but good enough to hurt, a lot." explained Ace.

At the same time, Amos screamed. He did find someone.

Winky.

No one could do anything to avoid what happened next.

Ace turned, inclining his hat before syncing in the woods.

"I'll leave them to you, Arthur-san... I will reassure the others..." mumbled Ace.

He disappeared into the darkness, slipping his wand, which he retrieved, in it's case around his wrist.

He did not like this. He knew there was someone else, here, right outside, but nothing could prove it since the zone was supposedly passed through a thin comb by Barty. If Ace unmasked the invisible man, no one would believe him, it would be said that he attacked the man for no reason.

Her quickly found Percy, fairly busy, around.

"You never saw me." Ace told the young man. "And keep an eye on your boss. Find me everything on him, up to the number of hair on his ass when he came to the world."

"Why?" asked Percy, perplex. "Where are the others?"

"Ronald-kun is with your father, Potter and Hermione. As for the why, your boss is acting rather shadily in this whole incident... and he used his house elf as a scapegoat... There is something not right in this whole story..."

Percy frowned and nodded.

"See you back in the tent."

Then Ace disappeared in the crowd, becoming another shadow in many, despite his orange fedora.

.

.

For the remaining of the night, Ace listened closely to the agitation in the camping.

First, the story about the Dark Mark, which reminded him a little of his own way of leaving a spade's ace and a tag of his crew's mark whenever he did something. But his was obviously less creepy.

Then, the reason for that Mark to appear today. Potter had told him about his vision, through the summer, and he could hear the second voice coming from his friend getting a little stronger everyday. Something was going to happen this year. He was positive. Knowing about the Triwizard tournament and the missing case as well... Ace was ready to bet all of those were linked.

"Potter?"

"Hmmm?" answered Harry who wasn't sleeping.

"We are going to intensify the Occlumency lessons. Don't ask me why. If I could explain it to you, I would, believe me."

For a short instant, there was silence.

"Dumbledore is preventing you to?" guessed Harry.

"Supposedly to preserve your childhood... But let's be honest, you stopped being a kid when Snake Face tried to kill you. Don't you agree?"

"I don't really know... I guess, in a way."

"Therefore, try to act more mature, and think more. If you live through this year, it will be a miracle. You should rest now."

"Are you going to sleep today?"

"I am not tired, my mind is too busy and alert today to rest."

"Good night."

"Oyasoumi."

For a little while, Ace stayed still, waiting on Potter to sleep. Then, positive no one was awake, he slipped his youth runes from his wrist, becoming his adult self, and morphed to his animagus shape.

He slipped through the tents on his feline paws, until the forest.

He ran through the path until he was back in the clearing. Nobody was here.

His nose quickly caught the smell of burn from where the dummy who cause such ruckus should have been.

Even in the twilight, Ace easily spotted the place where the grass was crushed, behind a bush. And sniffed the smell.

Yes, his suspicion was right.

For one, it was the same person as the one the hid in the official lodge. Apparently Potter had disobeid and kept his wand in his pocket.

Second, Crouch did find the person. He ha known there was someone else as well.

Ace sat in the grass, his tail flipping nervously.

The wind had started to turn, the night Scabbers had ran away. Every night since, some rather nasty scents started to cluster in the wind.

The storm was almost here, and it would not be a good one.

.

.

Ace put his pencil down trying not to lose his calm, when three heads looked over his shoulder.

"May I inquire as what exactly you are doing?" asked the annoyed young adult.

"We were wondering the same thing about you." answered Ron.

For all answer, Ace raised his books.

All about meteorological events or chemistry and physics. And all were open on the pages about mirages or something closely (or loosely) related to heat and fire.

He closed his books and notes (covered in both calculus and kanjis, he was not crazy enough to write something like this in plain English) and got up.

"I'm going to start to put this away.

"Oh, I forgot, Dumbledore send a packet for you." Molly told him. "I left it on your suitcase, dear."

"Arigatou."

Ace loaded most of the books in his arms, and Hermione helped him, taking the remaining ones. Together, the went toward the boys' room.

"What are you working on, exactly?" asked the Ravenclaw-Would-Be once they were alone in the room.

"A new way to apply my powers. I control fire and therefore I can control heat."

Ace dropped his books on his bed and took the packet from his chest. Pulling it appart, he was surprised. Hermione picked up the only identifiable article.

"A weapon?"

"A nodachi. Give me."

Ace took back the weapon and unsheathed it, observing the sharp blade.

"A Meito, how could he have gotten this weapon..."

"Meito?" repeated the girl.

"They are extremely wanted blades. This one, if I am not mislead, is a Cursed Blade. The Shodai Kitetsu. A beautiful blade, but dangerous. I don't even want to know why he is giving it to me."

"If I didn't already know weapons are such a normal trend for you, I would be worried." said Hermione, hugging herself.

Ace sheathed the weapon and carefully put it away in his case (McGonagall had enchanted it when he was given his student properties), before looking the remaining items.

"He wants you to become a samurai or what?"

That is when Ron and Harry came into the room to pack up their own things.

"What is it?" asked Harry from where he was packing his Firebolt.

"A Kimono and a Hakama, with getas. There is only a Sandogasea missing and I will feel like I went shoping at Wa no Kuni or in Japan."

Ace preciously packed the clothes.

Mrs Weasley arrived, giving them their fresh clothes and uniforms.

"Mom, you gave me one of Ginny's dress." commented Ron seeing weird lacework in his pile.

"No, that's your evening dress, for official ceremonies. Dumbledore sent you yours in your package, Ace."

"Yes, I just packed it away." answered Ace wondering where in his pack he should put his getas.

"You're kidding, right? There is no way I'm going to wear... that!" exclaimed Ron, showing a weird velved dress.

"Everyone has one, Ron!" answered back his Mother, with anger. "They are all like this! Your father has one for the casual evenings!"

"I would rather walk around naked than being seeing in such thing." stubbornly replied the teen.

"Don't be daft!" protested Mrs Weasley. "I am telling you evening dresses are mandatory this year! Look at your list! I also took one for Harry and Ace got his from Dumbledore. Show them, boys!"

With heartbreaking sight, Ace undid his chest, under an amused Hermione, and spread out his 'evening wear' on his bed. In the meantime, with apprehension, Harry found his. He sighted in relief when he realized his looked rather closely like his uniform, but in a green shade.

He looked at Ace's outfit which, strangely, looked like a samurai. The outfit was in a nondescript colour, changing between yellow, gold, red, copper and orange. On the top, there were two patterns, one on each side of the chest, reminding of an Asiatic dragon.

"It seems Dumbledore respected your native customs." smiled Molly. "As for yours, Harry, I thought it would go well with your eyes."

"His, it's fine!" said Ron in rage at seeing Harry's outfit. "Why can't I have one like that?!"

"Because... I had to buy yours used and there really isn't that many choices!" answered Mrs Weasley blushing.

Ace felt the way Harry diverted his eyes.

"I will never wear this." insisted Ron. "Ever."

"I know people who would have payed any price to get this kind of outfit, Ronald-kun, so, stop moaning, shut up, and be happy with what you have. Don't act like a spoiled brat." reprimanded Ace.

Ron send a poisonous gaze his way, which Ace simply ignored in favor of neatly packing the kimono back in his chest.

"Very well." said Mrs Weasley dryly. "In this case, walk around naked. Harry, Ace, don't forget to take a picture. I need a good laugh once in a while!"

"It will be my pleasure." assured Ace.

The woman left, slamming the door.

"Why do I always need to wear ridiculous things." grumbled Ron.

"I will not comment." answered Ace, closing his bag.

.

.

"Ace would like him!"

Ace entered the kitchen, yawning away.

"Like who?" asked Hiken. "Wari, I had some trouble to get up, had trouble sleeping last night."

"Your hair is all over the place..." smiled Charlie.

Ace glared at him, and combed his hair with his hand.

"So, who are you talking about?" asked Ace.

"Moody Mad-Eye." Bill answered. "One of the best Auror out there. He filled half of Azkaban's cells on his own. He is retiring today."

"He's more of an old paranoiac." commented George. "He sees Dark Wizards everywhere from what we hear."

"Question... How many of the ones he arrested were really criminals, and not innocents who were just at the wrong place, wrong time?"

Silence was his answer.

"As long as I don't have an answer to this question, I won't be able to give my opinion on him."


	17. Back to Hogwarts

Chapter 17: Back to Hogwarts

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

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Ace raised his head from his book and removed his headphones when he heard the door open once again.

Malfoy was about to apostrophe Weasley and mock him when he hear a throat clearing.

"Don't be a git in front of a professor, Malfoy." said Hermione, without raising her eyes from her book.

Ace got up and walked up to the three Slytherins.

"Either you are here to say hello and get some news, acting in a civilized manner... or... you can close back the door and leave. Which one fo you chose?" asked Ace.

The door was closed.

"It's nice to have you in Gryffindor!" smile Dean toward Ace.

"I'm going to change, and see Tsuki no Hime. I'll come back later."

And he left.

"What?" inquired Ron who didn't understand.

"Moon Princess. It's the nickname he gives to the strange girl in Ravenclaw. One of Ginny's friend." answered Harry. "The one that got a twenty at his Haki exam."

.

.

Ace could not refrain a smile when Hermione said she would not want to cross the lake in this weather.

"Rooh, I would like it." said the pirate.

"By this weather?" chocked Ron.

"I saw some weather that are worth that reaction, this is just a refreshing drizzle, believe me."

That walked up to the stagecoaches.

"I wonder what makes them move." commented Hermione.

"It isn't spells." answered Ace climbing up after a look to the Thesdrals.

"Do you horses somewhere, Portgas?" asked Ron climbing in after.

"Yes, Thesdrals."

Hermione had a brisk inspiration, like she just understood something.

"What is it?" ask Harry entering next.

And they closed the door behind him.

"They are invisible horses, visible only those those who saw death." whispered Hermione. "It is said that they bring bad luck, but it is only said because of the sine qua none for them to be visible."

"I have a phoenix feather, a Dragon heartstrings and Thesdral horsehair in my want." mumbled Ace. "One of very few wands with a heart this complex. It had to be custom made."

"What is the condition to see the Thesdrals?" inquired Harry.

"To witness death..." mumbled Hermione.

Ace obstinately stared at the window, to be able to ignore the pity looks thrown his way. If they knew how many people he killed, they would change opinions about him.

"Granger Hermione..." said Ace while the young witch started to get angry about the house elves that were preparing the meal.

"What, you don't agree?!"

"What did I tel you the other day? It's _normal_ for them to serve wizards, as normal as it is for me to have a blade on me, even under the shower! If you ever want to see what real slavery is, very well, come find me one the seventh floor, at the usual spot, and I will show you. After that, if you are still able to have coherent thought process despite what I will have shown you, we will go see the house elves in the kitchen."

"You know where the kitchens are?" wondered Harry.

"We often go." said Fred. "Can we come as well, Ace? Why is it only Hermione that can have that kind of rendez-vous... or maybe..."

"Oh yes, that would explain everything, brother mine!" commented George.

They looked at each other knowingly and announced:

"You're going out together and getting on each other in the broom closer!"

The golden trio chocked on their food, Ace was not phased more than usual.

"I will allow two _virgins _such as yourselves to make these kind of insinuations when they will have taken the next step. Not before." commented Ace.

This surprised more than one, before the whole table burst out laughing... except Hermione which was blushing deeply.

"Well played, Ace. Well played." granted one of the twins.

The rest of the meal went in the usual hullabaloo.

Finally, the dessert disappeared and Dumbledore got up. He was about to explain why there would not be Quidditch this year, when the doors of the Great Hall slammed opened.

A man was in the doorway, supported on a large walking stick and wrapped in a dark travel cloak. All heads turned toward the new comer, suddenly illuminated by the lightning streaking from the magical ceiling. The man pulled down his hood, shaking his long dark grey hair, then walked toward the teacher's table.

The deep and regular 'clank' that punctuated each of his second steps allowed Ace to guess he had an artificial leg, most likely wood. Lightning sparked again, letting a surprisingly hight amount of scars and a missing nose to show. As for his eyes... one was small, dark and piercing. The other, small, round and stark blue, turning happily in it's orbit, sometimes going completely backwards.

But this was not what was bothering Ace... It was his _voice. _He had never heard anything like it. It was like trying to choke someone talking through a pillow, and signing on top of it. Instinct told Ace to be careful.

"I don't like this man." mumbled Ace.

And could not avoid a growl when he hear it would be their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Sorry, you'll have to endure him." said Harry with a little amusement. "You like pirate stories, he looks like one."

"Hmph!"

Dumbledore started once again where he was:

"As I was about to tell you, we are going to have the honour to welcome, in the next few months, an event that did not happen in the last century. It is my deepest pleasure to announce that the Triwizard Tournament will be hosted in Hogwarts this very year."

"YOU'RE KIDDING!" exclaimed Fred.

The tension in the air that was triggered by the arrival of Moody immediately dissipated.

Almost everyone burst out laughing, even Dumbledore puffed funnily, his eyes twinkling.

"No, I am not kidding, Mr. Weasley." he answered. "But If you like to pleasantries, I heard a good one this summer. A troll, a harpy and a leprechaun walk into a bar..."

Professor McGonagall noisily cleared her throat, bringing Dumbledore back on task.

Once he was done with the main one, he announced something that surprised everyone... Ace the very first:

"It happens that this summer, I managed to contact a Haki master, who graciously proposed to do a demonstration, in February, a dual between magic and Haki... Natural magic, obviously... And I am positive our young Haki professor will be more than happy with his opponent."

"USO!" exclaimed Ace, getting everyone's attention on him. "Dare?!"

"Natural magic?" wondered Harry in a low voice.

"No, this is not a lie, Portgas-kun, I assure you. As for the who... one word, Fushisho! Now, everyone to bed! And quickly!"

Dumbledore sat back down and turned toward Allastor Moody.

"What is natural magic?" asked Harry while they started the walk toward Gryffindor tower.

"Every wizard in the world is destined to a very specific magical discipline. By this I mean that, for example, while we work, one might discover his or her specialty, and go above and beyond in it. Like Ace and fire. But wizards able to do this are very rare... Especially those knowing Haki." explained Hermione.

Ace was still in shock... Fushisho could only mean one thing... Marco.

He was going to see Marco again, here.

His legs were working on autopilot.

"Come one, this kind of magic can't be that uncommon!" exclaimed Ron.

"Weasley... The first thing I learned when I took my independence was that everything is possible. I removed the word 'impossible' from my vocabulary years ago. Oi, Fred! Do you have the password for the tower?"

"Yeah, it's 'Fairy Lights', why?" answered Fred.

"Hermione and I are going to leave you here. I'm going to show her what real slavery looks like. And no, you cannot come."

.

.

They entered the Room of Requirement which, this time, showed a luxurious jungle with, perched on a tree, a little house.

"Where are we?" asked Hermione while Ace undid his tie.

"Dawn island, in East Blue. This is the tree house where I spent seven years of my life, I made it with my brothers. Come."

He nimbly hoisted the ladder and climbed into the tree house.

It was nice to come back here. Even though the room could only copy something from a memory, it was nice. Ace helped Hermione and motioned to her to sit on a box that was used as the table.

"This hut is nice... who helped you to do it?" commented Hermione.

"No one. We found the materials in Grey Terminal, and we made it ourselves."

Ace sat on the other side of the improvised table and, immediately, a pensieve appeared on it. Ace put his want to his temple, as he had seen Dumbledore and Snape do in the past, and retrieved a memory, before letting it fall in the pool.

"Ready?" asked Ace.

"What do we do?" inquired Hermione.

"We're going to explore one of my memories. My first day at Shabaody. You'll see the real horrors of the world I come from."

He reached his hand and Hermione too it, shacking slightly. A second after, they were in the memory.

When Hermione reopened her eyes, she immediately recognized Shabaody's landscape, despite that around here it looked slightly in ruins.

"We are in one of the 'outlaw' zones or the archipelago." explained Ace. "If you're looking for me, I'm over there."

He showed three figures sat on a roof, messing around. Two man and a woman, around seventeen or eighteen. The woman had a face similar to the Patil twins, with a huge dark hair mop, worse than his own, and strange amethyst eyes with white almond-shaped pupils. The other man was rather mundane, dark blond hair, a few scars on his face. Finally there was Ace, laughing like no other.

"I was almost eighteen at that time." Ace told her.

"Oh... well... you were rather cute... I knew you were older than you looked, but I have not seen you without your runes." commented Hermione. "Why are you showing this to me?"

Ace motioned himself with his chin, and a dark gaze.

True to it, the trio had stopped laughing and seemed to look perplex toward something. The girl's eye suddenly open, wide in horror.

"A Tenryuubito!"

"You're kidding, Agnaya?" exclaimed the other young man, while the Spades' captain frowned.

"It's Saint Charlos..."

Hermione looked toward the same direction and saw that the passerby all kneeling down, making way for a four man wearing a diving suit and seated on...

"A slave, yes." murmured the Haki Professor to Hermione when she yelped in horror. "A Tenryuubito has all rights. They are never wrong. Raising your hand on them is like signing your own death warrant."

They watched the man pass by, who did not see them since they were only spectators in the memory.

Hermione could not remove her eyes from the Tenryuubito's procession. The man on all four, used as a mount, the other chained slaves forced to follow in the path...

"Do you see the mark in the slaves' backs? It's the Tenryuubito's emblem. They mark their slaves with red iron, condemning them to be nothing more than objects in everyone's eyes... if they manage to escape without their deadly collar triggering, since they are bombs. They will forever bear this mark to show they are below humans. Worse than trash..." whispered Ace. "And as you can see, they are well protected. Come, let's move."

He took Hermione's hand and guided her in the wake of the Tenryuubito, following the same path as his other 'him' on the roof.

They arrived in front of a building with a few guards in front. A man came to welcome the Celestial Dragon who walked in.

Following, while trying to stay discrete, the Spades also entered.

Ace pulled Hermione with him, and made her sit in the stairs, besides him, at the very top.

"Who are those people?" asked Hermione.

"Nobles, sovereigns, rich merchants... Those who might have enough money to buy a slaves. Oh..."

"What is it?"

Ace got back up and walked down a few steps to see someone. A pirate he easily recognized. The man looked at the people who just entered and tightenned his grip on the armrest when seeing the Tenryuubito.

"You know him?" asked Hermione.

"Fushisho Marco. It's true there was a rumour that there was going to be a siren sold. I didn't stay long, so, I never knew if it was true. But I understand why he's here. It's apparently him that Dumbledore is going to invite."

"Isn't he... your boyfriend?"

Ace diverted his head, mumbling an 'Urusai' and went back to sit in the stairs. Hermione came to join him.

"You have great taste, he's really cute." she teased.

"Hermione, it's starting."

Hermione shut up and looked at the man who just walked on the stage. When the sale started, she had a hard time to restrain herself in front of such horror.

It was after three slaves, a child who had been separated from his mother, that Ace motioned to Hermione to get up.

Indeed, Ace the pirate had just left.

They walked out and could see him further out, besides the water.

"I just puked my guts out."

'

'

'

Coming back from the memory, Hermione was thankful of the bucket the Room provided to throw up in. She then sank into Ace's arms to cry.

"It's... It's..."

"It's my world... simple as that." murmured Ace, petting her hair. "Now come along."

'

'

'

Hermione opened her round eyes, seeing the crowd of house elves working in the kitchens. One of them noticed them and came to them.

"Can we help you?" asked the little creature.

"My friend here is in need of a pick me up. And if you have a little alcohol somewhere, I wouldn't say no."

The two students where guided to a table where a hot chocolate awaited Hermione, and some whisky Ace.

"Now, shut up and look."

Hermione did as Ace asked. And she clearly witnessed the difference.

Eyes and smiles.

The Hogwarts' house elves had shinny eyes. Just that meant a lot.

"Ne... do you like it here at Hogwarts?" asked Ace to an elf that was bringing them some small cakes.

"Very much! Professors and the uncommon students that come here treat us very well! Better than some wizard's family! We have a roof over our heads and a full belly! Hogwarts is a good master! And the Director respect us!"

"Soka. Thank you for answering. My friend here was a little worried for you."

Hermione blushed.

"Thank you misses! But we do not need it! We are happy to work at Hogwarts!"

And the elf left to go back on what he was working before.

"Is your mind at peace now?" inquired Ace.

Hermione nodded.

"Come, let's head to bed."

'

'

'

"Botany with Hufflepuffs and Magical Creatures with the Slytherins..." commented Hermione. "How about you, Ace?"

Ace removed his nose from the coffee mug he was nursing to look at his time table.

"Introduction to Haki with First years, then I'll join you with Hagrid-sensei."

"And this afternoon? We have double divination." said Ron.

"I have Haki with the Third and Fourth years that didn't have the autorisation last year. Depending on the amount of people in the class, they might get merged with the other classes... if the students don't run away between now and then. We'll see each other after lunch for Haki. I'm leaving"

.

.

Ace stayed crouched down, observing the Blast-Ended Skrewts.

When Hagrid told they they would raise them themselves, it was like someone told him it was his birthday.

"Why would we want to do that?" asked Malfoy in an icy tone.

"It's true! We're going to raise them?!" Asked Ace, all excited.

"That's it, Portgas finally lost it..." commented Seamus with a smile.

The class started and, of course, Malfoy did not miss a single one.

"I now understand why it is so important to keep them alive." said Malfoy dripping sarcasm. "Who never dreamed of house pets that could burn, sting and suck blood?"

"It's not because they aren't pretty that they can't be useful." replied Hermione. "Dragon's blood has prodigal magical virtues, but despite this we don't really want to have a dragon pet at home."

"And you should know stuff that can suck blood can be quite useful." commented Ace. "In Muggle medicine, even though Mr is too proud to be interested, they started to introduce leaches to liquefy blood and dissolve blood clots as well as anti-inflammatory. I bet anything you want that the potions used in those situations are based on leeches, or, a way to mimic them. Then, instead of bitching, teme, appreciate the fact that you might actually be doing a good action in your life, take care of your Skrewt in silence."

Hermione had to bit her lips not to laugh.


	18. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

Chapter 18: CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

'

'

'

Ace picked up the authorizations and could not refrain a sadistic smile when Malfoy handed his.

Like he did that morning very morning with the First years, Ace presented what was Haki.

When it came to demonstrate the Conqueror's Haki, however, no one volunteered.

"Oooooooh, no one... I guess I'll have to name a volunteer..." said Ace with a sad face.

He scanned the group of student who unconsciously swallowed, before Hiken's smile spread wide on his face, having spotted his prey.

"Draco Malfoy, you shall be my guinea pig. Don't worry, you won't be hurt..."

Malfoy blanched. He looked for help within the class, but could not find anyone. He went to the middle of the room as Ace required and waited.

Ziioooooon...

Bam!

Malfoy passed out, covered in cold sweats, after having pissed himself.

Ace had fun to wake him up with a few slaps, but once the blond woke, he ran out out the room screaming.

"Can someone tell him that if he doesn't come to the next class, everything he knows about Haki will disappear, and no one else than me will be able to teach it to him?" asked Ace. "Alright, explanations are done, let's start the training!"

.

.

Ace stayed back, watching the incident happening. When spells where cast, the pirate reacted.

Everyone was surprise to see him standing between Harry and Malfoy, hands raised, holding two spells in them, each hand black from Haki coating.

"I thought it was forbidden by school regulation, to do magic in the hallways?" asked Ace staring at Malfoy who made himself as small as possible and started to shake in fear.

"Who are you, kid?" asked Moody, who had cast the second spell.

"Your worse nightmare, ossan."

"Portgas! Professor Moody! What is happening?!" barked McGonagall who arrived with her arms loaded in books.

"Konnichiwa sensei" welcomed Ace.

"Hello professor" calmly answered Moody still staring at Ace.

"What are you doing?"

"I tried to teach, but this kid interposed." answered the DADA professor.

"You teach by attacking students with... a transformation spell, I would say..." inquired Ace. "Sure, what Malfoy did, trying to attack Potter wasn't the smartest move, but your choice of method leaves something to be desired."

Ron coughed a little, behind the pirate.

"Would you prefer the alternative method, Weasley?" asked Ace , understanding the coughing sound.

"No, not at all." assure the redhead, turning white.

Ace broke the spells in his grip.

"Fifteen point to Gryffindor for your intervention, young man." thanked Minerva. "Moody! We never use transformation for punishment!" said the cat animagus. "I am sure Professor Dumbledore must have told you?"

"He might have mentioned it, it's possible" answered the man, scratching his chin. "But I thought a good shocking session..."

"We give detentions, Moody! Or we talk with the Head of their house!"

"Fine, that's what I'll do." he answered looking at Malfoy with disdain.

"Sensei, can I give detentions?" asked Ace with hope.

"Unfortunately no, Portgas. You can give or remove points during your class, but if the situation requires a detention, you need to refer it to me."

Ace pouted.

In the meantime, Moody grabbed Malfoy and dragged him toward Snape's office.

"Oh you, kid... Portgas, is that your name?" asked the man over his shoulder.

"Iie. For you it will be Gol D. Ace. This way the day I will slash your throat, I will have a good hate reserve against you, to not hesitate."

Moody burst laughing, cutting short McGonagall's protests.

"You're really not afraid! Gol D. Ace.. I'll remember."

Ace tightened his fists, which immediately burst in fire.

"Ace, your flames." called Hermione to order.

Ace shook his hands, cutting the flames, and walked away to go eat.

"I thought that you despise that name, why give it to Moody?" asked Harry while they sat at a table.

"I said it clearly. More he calls me by that name, more hate I will have for him. So the day I need it, I will not hesitate to slash his throat."

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Ron.

"Who said I wasn't?" inquired the pirate.

The others smartly decided to drop the conversation.

.

.

Harry could only notice that the number of students for the Haki course slashed by more than half since last year.

Ace took presences as if nothing happened, checking names on his list before putting it back in his bag.

"Very well, today we won't start by an exercise but a lesson which I judge fundamental." Ace told the group. "Sit down and pay attention."

Everyone sat.

Ace hoisted himself on the chair's back and looked at them, extremely serious.

"I want all of you to keep what I am about to tell you in your head. The world isn't all rainbows. You are part of the last generation conceived during war times. You might believe that the danger is behind you. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that is false. Snake Face, which is the name I gave Voldemort..."

Ace had to pause for the time everyone reacted in ridicule fashion to the name.

"As I was saying, Snake Face is not the only big bad meany in the world. Not every villain or bad person is in Azkaban. Be it Muggle or Wizard, degenerates are everywhere. Thiefs, assassins, rapists, and my others... the world isn't rainbows. You have no idea what might happen outside. My goal, by teaching you Haki, is to give you an edge, a few seconds lead on the people that might want you hurt, or worse. A precious few seconds, during which you will be able to choose between multiple options: to do noting; to run away; or to fight. I will not pretend that what I am giving you will save your life, that would be a presumptuous on my side. All I am saying, is you now have plenty of good cards to win the game. All is left to know is what you will actually do with what you have in hand. I push you to develop your resilience, to take a maximum of hits, until you may be found. I give you endurance and make you work on speed so you have a small possibility of eluding your opponent. I offer you Haki to unmask your adversaries before they attack, but in no way to naively walk around believing all is nice and pretty, sunshine and rainbows. That's just false."

A hand was raised.

"Yes, Bones?"

"Why are you telling us all this? Why are you caring so much?"

Ace hesitated a little, then decided to answer with honesty:

"If I care so much for these lessons it's because I don't want you to finish like me. Or worse. I have scars. Many many scars. Not as many as Bad-Eye, but enough for competition, and that makes me miraculous."

Ace's hand rose to his chest, where Harry had seen his worse scar, and his two friends knew he had one.

"I fought too often for my life not to bear it's marks. I saw enough horrors to lose faith in human kind. I want to be certain that the day I leave Hogwarts, I will leave students able to defend themselves. Any other questions? Other than how I got my scars, which I will not divulge. Nor do I intend to show them to you."

Silence was his answer.

"Very well, let's start the exercise, I will launch the bludgers."

.

.

Ace was about to go to bed when Hermione grabbed his arm, right before the dormitories' stairs.

"Pull up your T-shirt please. I completed your tattoo." murmured Hermione.

Ace did as asked, there was no one else in the common room anyway. Hermione brushed his scarred skin and mumbled a magic spell and quickly, the Shirohige Mark repaired itself.

"I... I'm sorry you died, Ace." whispered Hermione letting his arm go.

"Not me." answered Ace putting his shirt back. "Sure, I died without been able to see my brother climb to the top, but especially, when i had decided that I was happy to be alive. But I don't regret to have died. I'm proud of it."

"Why?"

Ace offered a sad but proud smile.

"It was either that, or letting Luffy die. My brother is far too precious for me to stay still when he was about to be killed. I intervened, and took the hit in his stead. A magma punch. That's all... Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi nasai."

Hermione briefly hugged Ace before letting him go.

.

.

Thursday and the whispers were still going strong in the hallways whenever Ace walked by.

"Maybe it was a bad idea to talk like that during your class." commented Harry on their way to DADA.

"They'll know what is waiting for them if they fuck up. A warned man is worth two." answered Ace.

"Still, it's not every day a cute guy goes shirtless, you should have done that. Would have stuck more." puffed Hermione, trying to orient conversation toward less troubled waters.

"Don't talk to me about that, Brown asked me if I wanted to go out with her, while I still had my shirt on."

"Did you agree?" asked Ron with clear interest.

"Iie. I already have someone in my life, and don't plan to look anywhere else."

"And when did you see her last?" inquired Harry.

"Before I got here. Don't try to understand my sentimental life is none of your concerns, Potter!"

Ace offered him a malicious smile.

They entered the classroom and Ace went close to the window, his back against the wall, the three others went in front of the desk.

Soon enough, Moody arrived and asked them to remove any books, before calling presences.

"Portgas D. Ace..."

"God for you, ossan." rectified Ace.

"I remember what you said, and taking note of it." growled Moody with a ferocious smile.

He wrote it down and finish taking the roll call.

In any case, Ace was the only one knowing the significance of having Gol D as his name. It's not like bearing it could be a death sentence here, in this world.

The class finally started... kind of.

"Bad spells. They come in many shapes and their power also varies depending on the case. If we stick to the recommendations from the Ministry of Magic, my assignment is to teach you defence spells, nothing more. I am not supposed to show you how the hexes manifest until you are in sixth year. Which will be bothersome for our War Mage in Training, I think... where is he?"

Ace briefly raised his hand. Moody nodded and continued his speech:

"Before that, we esteem you too young to know the details. Professor Dumbledore think more highly of your character and thinks you can learn more. I will add that sooner you know what is waiting for you, the better. How could you defend yourselves against something that you never saw before? If a wizard is about to cast one of the unforgivable curses, he is not going to warn you first. He will not do it nicely and politely. You need to be ready to react. You must be attentive, always on guard. Miss Brown, you don't need to look at that while I am talking."

Lavender jumped and blushed. She was showing, under her desk, the horoscope she had finished to Parvati. Apparently Moody's magic eyeball could see through wood, and behind his head.

"So... can someone tell me which hexes are, by law, forbidden and reprimanded with the most severity?"

BAM!

Ace's head fell on his desk.

Moody raised his eyebrow.

"Ace is narcoleptic." explained Neville.

"Oh, we shall wake him quickly!"

Moody raised his wand...

The spell left and hit the desk, where, the previous instant, Ace was.

VLAM!

Ace fell from the ceiling, on Moody, sleeping eyes, sit on the man, blocking his hands with his feet and menacing him with the wand that he took from the professor and one of his personal weapon.

The young man seemed sleepy. He yawned, without moving, and looked at the surprised man from the quickness at which he was taken out of the fight.

"You are lucky it was not a spell with the intent to hurt or kill me, because you would have lost one or more of your limbs. My narcolepsy does not bother anyone, other than you."

"You were pretending to sleep brat, who do you take me for?"

"You and I do not have the same reflexes, nor the same instinct. Whether I am deep asleep or not, the slightest threat wakes me up immediately."

Ace got back up. Put away his blade and left the wand on the desk before returning to his desk, under the admiring gaze of every student.

"I most truly be getting old if a youngster such as you can surprise me! You will make a good War Mage! Let's resume! Which spells are forbidden by law?"

A few timid hands raised, including Ron and Hermione's. Moody motioned to Ron, his magic eye back between Lavander and Ace.

"Euh..." said Ron in an unsure voice. "My father told me about a hex... the Imperium spell, or something like that..."

"Oh yes." agreed Moody with appreciation. "Your father must know that one. Back in the past it cause a lot of issues to the Ministry's people, the Imperium."

Moody who had sat back on his desk, slowly raised, opening one of the desk's drawers and getting a glass jar with three spiders dancing around inside it, visibly trying to escape.

The ex-auror dove his hand in the jar, grabbing one of the spiders and kept it inside his hand so everyone could see it. Then he pointed his wand to the poor arachnid and whispered:

"Impero!"

The spider than jumped from his hand, letting itself slide down an invisible silk thread and started to swing itself, like doing a trapeze exercise. Then it straightened out her paws and executed a back somersault, cutting the thread and arriving back on the desk where the started to do wheel-carts in circles. Moody agitated his wand again and the spider raised itself on her back paws, starting to act like a tap dancer.

Everyone started to laugh.

Everyone except Ace.

He tightened his fists, trying not to ignite from anger.

"You find it funny, eh?" grumbled the professor. "Would you like it if I forced you to do the same?"

The laugh died out immediately.

"Total control." explained Mad-Eye in a low voice while the spider curled up and turned on itself from one side to the other of the desk. I could instruct it to jump from the window, or to drown, or jump in someone's throat or one of you..."

Ron was shaken by chills.

"Years ago, numerous witch and wizards found themselves under the Imperius." continued Moody.

Harry knew he was talking of the time Voldemort was all powerful.

"The Ministry's workers had a lot of work to find who had been acting under constraint and who had acted willingly. The Imperius can be fought, and I am going to teach you how, but it needs a strength of character and not everyone is able to. It is better to avoid been a victim if possible. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he bark, making everyone jump.

He offered a ferocious smile to the deductible of the class who was glaring at him, being the only one not reacting to the scare jump, jaw tight. Moody grabbed the jumping spider again to put it back in the jar.

"Can someone tell me another unforgivable curse?"

Hermione's hand immediately raised, and, to the general wonder, Neville's. Usually the only class Neville willingly answered questions was in Botanic, clearly his favourite subject. Neville himself seemed surprised by his audacity.

"Yes?" offered Moody, his magical eye turning on the boy.

"There is one... The Crucio Curse." answered Neville in a small voice barely heard.

Moody stared at the boy, with both eyes this time.

"Your name is Longbottom?" he asked, his magical eye one the name list on his desk.

Neville, uncomfortable, nodded but Mad-Eye did not ask any further questions. Turning back toward most of the class, he grabbed another spider and put it on the desk where it stayed still. Apparently too terrified to move.

"The Crucio Curse." said Moody. "We will need to enlarge it a bit for you to be able to understand."

He pointed his wand toward the spider.

"Engorgio!"

Right away the spider quintupled in size. It was now bigger than a tarantula. Unable to withhold his repulsion, Ron immediately moved his chair as far away from Moody's desk – and therefore the spider on it.

Once again, the professor cast a spell on the arachnid, whispering:

"Crucio."

The spider's legs yield until it's body. She turned on itself, agitated by horrible convulsions, swinging every way.

Ace closed his eyes, deactivating his Haki that was transmitting the pain of the spider. He had been tortured in Impel Down, but this... what he went through on level six, it was nothing in comparison! He could not suppress shivers, trying to stay impassible and eject from is mind the feeling he had felt.

"STOP!" screamed Hermione with a piercing voice.

Harry turned toward her. It wasn't the spider she was looking at, but Neville, which the hand were so tight against the table, the joints were livid, his eyes spread open in terror.

Moody raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed but it continued to convulse. Ace judge he could reactivate his Kenbunshoku without risk.

"The pain." said Moody in a low voice. "One does not need any weapon to hurt someone when he is able to cast the Crucio curse..."

Ace agreed with him. Thankfully the Grand Line knew nothing else than the Akuma no Mi, Rokushiky and Haki. Just imagining what people like Akainu would do with something like this... It was almost a nightmare.

"This one as well was used a lot some time ago. Can someone tell me the last of the Unforgivables?"

Hermione slightly raised a trembling hand.

"Yes?"

"Avada Kedavra." whispered the girl.

A few of the students, including Ron seemed anxious.

"Ah, yes the last one and the worse, Avada Kedavra... the spell for death." smiled Moodie which distorted his asymmetric mouth.

He slipped his hand in the jar and, like understanding what was waiting for her, the third spider seemed to start running frenetically at the bottom of the jar to escape. But the teacher caught it and set it down on the desk, where it started to run, like a prey in flight response.

Moody raised his wand and Harry shivered, like a bad feelings.

"Avada Kedavra!"

There was a quick green flash and noises similar to a heavy dusk of wind, like something enormous and invisible suddenly took flight.

Ace looked, raising an eyebrow, at the spider on her back. Complete, but dead on impact.

It life had been breathed away. No more voice.

"Not very nice." said the teacher in a calm voice. "Not funny either. There is no way to counter the spell. It is impossible to neutralize. We know only one person who ever managed to survive, and said person is sitting in front of me."

And he looked at a blushing Harry.

"Avada Kedavra is a curse that requires a great magic power. If you took your wands out right now, pointed them on me and pronounced the formula, I don't even think you would make my nose bleed. In any case, I am not here to teach you how to cast this spell. You might tell me, since there is not way to protect ourselves, why show it at all? Because you need to know. You need to be able to anticipate the worse case. And act to never be in a situation where you might suffer it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE! You must know that these three spells are called Unforgivable Curses. Using one of them against a human being is liable to a lifetime in Azkaban. These are the curses you will fight, the ones I need to teach you how to fight. For that, you will need some training. You need to gather the necessary weapons to fight it. But more than anything, you need vigilance. Take your feathers... Yes Gol?"

Ace had hesitated a long time before saying what he had in mind, but had finally decided to.

"What I am about to say might make you think I should be interned, but I think those who suffer the Death Curse are the lucky ones."

Everyone looked at him like he grew a second head.

"Explain..." asked Moody.

"There are many worse ways to die. That spell... it's clean. Pouf! No pain, no injuries, instant death. The last minutes are not painful. But if we look at it like a whole, without distinction between Muggle and magical ways to kill, there are way worse ways to find death, and to kill. Add in the pain, slowly losing conscience of what is happening around. Feeling the blood dripping out of yourself, the panic to know you are condemned, the time to realize that you can do nothing more. That it's done. Those instants, which Avada Kedavra does not make one go through, are worse than everything else. That's why, I think, those who die this way are lucky."

Without breaking the staring contest with Moody he added:

"And from an assassin's side, it's worse. With this spell, what does the memories show... some light and a cadaver? Almost every other way, there is time to see the victim agonize, your hands to get bloody, his hatred for us, his fear, his refusal to die... his gaze slowly diminishing... in front of all that, I said it and I will repeat it, those who suffer the Avada Kedavra are lucky. Sure, there is a possibility of survival if death is given in other ways, but at least, you don't have to suffer."

A heavy silence enveloped the classroom. Ace resisted the urge to pull his hand to his chest, knowing personally how painful dying was.

"Your perspective is sound. It could even be an interesting debate. It is easy to see you did not choose the path or War Mage fore nothing, Gol."

Ace did not answer, settling for stroking with the tip of his fingers his emblem of his crew, while sitting down.

.

.

Ace caught Neville at the end of the class.

"Come with me. I'll find you later!" Ace told the trio.'

Ron and Harry were perplex, but Hermione seemed relieved.

Ace dragged Neville with him before Moody could join them.

The boy was in such a shocked state that he did not resist. Ace quickly took him to the Requirement Room, which opened on the beautiful port of Hand Island. Ace took Neville to sit on the dock, close to the water, and sat beside him.

For a long time, neither of the boys said anything.

"Ace..." whispered Neville.

"Hmm?"

"Wh... Why did you say that to Moody, about the Avada Kedavra? It felt like..."

"Like I was talking from experience? It's because I was, even though I lived through by a miracle."

Ace laying himself backwards, his hands under his neck.

"Before getting to Hogwarts... let's say I had some big troubles. Trouble from which my little brother tried to save me. I should have been executed, but they succeeded in stopping it. Unfortunately, a few steps away from freedom, I played the fool, and I got burned for it."

Ace pulled his sleeve back, showing his right arm which bared some relatively discrete burns for those not paying attention.

"My brother fell from exhaustion. The man that burned me wanted to break me by killing him. I did not think, I took the heat in his stead. Think of Hagrid-sensei's fist, made of lave. That will be similar to what I received through my chest. I stayed there, lying in my little brother's arms who begged me not to die. I was slowly losing consciousness of what was happening. When I stopped hurting, while a had that hole through my chest, I knew it was finished. It's a miracle I am here."

Neville nodded.

"If I had to do, I would do it again. My brother did many things for me, I could not let him die. I should could not..."

"I won't say anything, I promise."

"I trust you."

Neville cleared his throat and explained:

"I... My parents... My parents were aurors. One day, shortly before Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Death Eaters came to our house. I was a little over a year, and they tortured both my parents with Crucio. Repeatedly... They... They broke. Since then, my parents are in St Mungo's, in a specialized wing. They..."

Ace put his hand on Neville's shoulder.

"They are alive, it's something." whispered Ace. "As long as there is life, there is hope, ne?"

Neville had a crisped smile, and, finally, looked around.

"Where are we?"

"My hiding place." maliciously answered Ace. "We'll go back to the tower when you'll be better."


	19. Fire Cup

Chapter 19: Fire Cup

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

'

'

||Japanese||

'

'

'

Ace really tried not to laugh while listening Harry and Ron invent various horrible predictions, under Hermione judging eye.

"Don't forget bruises or broken bones, for Monday." pointed Ace over his book.

"Shit, that's true, we have Haki!" remembered Ron.

"Still happy it's only exercises..." mumbled Harry remembering the summer he had lived through.

"Since you don't have Quidditch training this year, you will spend even more time with me. If you want to survive, you don't really have a choice!" added Ace.

Harry did not comment.

Hedwig's arrival broke the nice ambience and Potter left frenzied toward the dormitories.

With a sight, Ace got up and walked toward the portrait.

"Where are you going?" asked Hermione frowning.

"Usul is going to train." answered Ace while leaving the Common Room.

"Usul?" repeated Ron.

"Muggle reference." explain the expert.

.

.

Ace could only laugh.

"Ace! Harry lies to his godfather and all you do is laugh!?" scandalized Hermione the next morning during breakfast.

"Yes because Sir Padfoot is not thick enough to not see through it. How much do you bet he will send you a reply telling you it was well tried, but ineffective?" explained Ace.

"Just let it go." added Ron.

Hermione shut up but Ace shrugged.

"Do you know what you're going to do for the Haki demonstration?" inquired Harry.

"Since the first night, Fushisho can only refer to one person."

"And who is that?"

Ace did not answered, suddenly passionate about the newspaper that arrived.

"Portgas..." called Ron.

"Nobody."

"_Portgas.._" insisted Harry with an interested smile.

"The great Portgas D. Ace is doing information retention!" exclaimed Fred monopolizing the right side of the pirate.

"Oh, what kind of secret is he hiding?" continued George.

Ace folded the newspaper and passed a hand through his hair.

"The person who is coming.. is... I don't really find a way to describe the man... Maybe like a big brother... the face is with him here, I will be subjected with many questions from the students, questions I would rather not answer, of course."

"Ooooooh..." said the twins in unison. "When will you trust us enough in us to tell?"

"When Gyojins will be able to explore Shabaody without needing to hide."

If Hermione frowned, perplex, it was the only reaction. The others, did not know what it was about.

During the following two weeks, Ace worked more and more in the Requirement Room, demanding to see Harry there at least once a week, to make him work on both Occlumency and Haki.

Ace could see that Potter would not achieve anything. Armament did not seem to be made for the wizard.

But the boy was stubborn.

"If you truly master the basics of Occlumency and manage to protect you mind at anytime, I will ask you, before Christmas, to help me out with something I found." promised Ace.

"How will you know?" inquired Harry.

"Other than the fact that I am learning Legimency?"

Harry decided he would rather not know.

.

.

During the third week, Moody announced that he was going to put them under the Imperius curse, to show them the powerful effects and see if they would manage to resist.

Ace might not trust this teacher, and had a weird feeling of knowing him, not sure why, but he did agree with this idea, even though it frightened Hermione.

"Hermione, it's better to get attacked in a controlled environment than find out at a worse time." he whispered while getting up on a table that had been pushed to manage more free room in the middle of the classroom.

Ace was tightening his fists, looked at his fellows suffer the curse one after the other. Some were doing surprising things, other ridiculous.

"Gol, up." called Moody.

Ace got up and stopped in the middle of the room.

"Impero!"

He felt like he had a fly in his ear, before his Haoshoku acted on itself, forcing the professor to his knees.

"Ace!" exclaimed Hermione.

"I haven't done anything!" Ace defended himself. "Not my fault if my Haki acted on it's own!"

Moody got back up with some difficulty and looked at Ace, his breathing harsh. He wiped the cold sweats that was dripping from his head.

"You... you're a kid full of surprises... and dangerous..."

"I am not a kid, but I will agree that I am dangerous." said Ace. "Anything else, or you might want to do another try?"

"Next!"

Ace went back to sit in the back and once again looked at his fellows ridicule themselves one after the other. Until Potter. Ace saw him relax when the spell touched him, then prepare to jump... before straightening. His position seemed hesitant but his eyes seemed to shine, like under an internal conflict.

Bam!

Harry ended up falling flat on the desk, which he flipped other, for having jumped without jumping.

And he got the teacher's congratulations...

.

.

This was the day.

Durmstrang and Beauxbatons's students were going to arrive in a few hours.

While they were eating, McGonagall took Ace aside.

"Being a War Mage and a teacher, you have the obligation to stand out from the rest of the students. No uniform for you, Portgas, but wear a decent outfit. And you will eat tonight, and tomorrow, for the champions selection, at the professors' table.

"I think my winter outfit will be perfect."

Minerva nodded her head.

Ace quickly caught up with the Golden Trio.

"What did she want?" asked Ron.

"I need to change. Apparently, they want to insist on me being a War Mage and a Professor, above my student status. I won't be eating at Gryffindor's table tonight."

"That's crazy!" exclaimed Hermione. "Are you going to wear the uniform?"

"Nope! My Vampire Hunting outfit!"

Harry shook his head when remembering where he got that idea.

They sat at the table and the mail arrived.

Hedwig was in the parliament of owls. And she seemed sleepy. While Harry read Sirius' letter, the beautiful bird ate some piece of rind and was allowed a sip of orange juice, before taking flight to the owlery.

"So?"

"You were right, Portgas." sighted Harry.

With a knowing smile, Ace reached his hand out and, growling, Harry searched his pockets.

"I don't have money on me, but I'll give you a Galleon when we are back on the tower."

"I will hold you to it, Potter."

'

'

'

Some time late, they were all assembled in the part, waiting for the foreign delegations. Ace went to stand beside the other teachers, behind the students, his nodachi in his arm, laying against his shoulder in similar fashion as Trafalgar Law.

Minutes passed, and the students' whispers where spreading on how the delegations would arrive.

Ace felt something that made him turn his head toward the sky, above the Forbidden Forest. He tapped Dumbledore's arm beside him and showed him the growing spot in the sky.

"Ah! If I am not mistaken, Beauxbatons' delegation is arriving!" announced the twinkling director. "Thank you Mr. Portgas."

"With pleasure, sensei."

The excitement could be felt in the students ranks, while the spot became a huge pale blue coach, as big as a house and pulled by giant winged houses.

"||Surprised?||" inquired Dumbledore.

The amused sniff from Ace meant everything.

"||I saw some Kai-o more perturbing than that...||"

The coach was falling from the sky at at terrifying speed. Finally, in an impressive crash, who made Neville jump (and fall back on a fifth year Slytherin), the coach landed in a dust cloud.

Soon, a woman taller than Hagrid got out of the coach.

"||Big-Mom is widely taller than her..||" sneered Ace.

"||I doubt we can compare Olympe to that pirate.||" the director answered while clapping.

Dumbledore went to meat the woman and did not need to lean to kiss her hand, before daring to put a name to the face: Madam Maxime.

"May I? Our War Mage in training will be pleased to show to to the Great Hall." said Dumbledore when it was clear the French would wait inside.

Ace moved forward, removed his hat and bowed deeply.

"A pleasure to meet you, Oujou-san." saluted Ace. "My name is Portgas D. Ace, War Mage in Training and Haki professor. Well, in your language it would be Ace D. Portgas."

Hermione tried not to laugh at the charming and silky voice that Ace took, before kissing the woman's hand.

"Our young friend in from Japanese origin. Please follow him, he will lead your way."

Ace put his hat back on, and in a flurry of his black coat, opened the way to the Great Hall.

This was perfect. He would have the time to remember the voices in the group, without confusing them with the students'.

"So you areuh a teacher?" said Madame Maxime while walking beside the young man.

From Ace's white steps, she was not forced to take tiny steps to follow him.

"Haki is a mind application to matter, almost unknown. To thank Dumbledore-sensei to let me study here, I offered to share my knowledge to the interested students. Here we are, please settle your students wherever you want, I must go back outside to watch over the other delegation's arrival."

"Fanke you, youngeu mane." smiled the woman.

Ace bowed once more before leaving, under the whispers of the Beauxbatons' girls.

His gaze stayed a short time on a nice looking girl whose _voice_ reminded him of something, but he lost no more time before joining Dumbledore.

"||One of the students is a Veela descendent.||" announced the pirate to the director.

"||Thank you. Did you have enough time, Commander?||"

"||Yes.||"

Time stretched a little, than Ace turned his gaze toward the lake. A nostalgic smile stetched on his lips when he saw the boat soaring from the water. The ship was of a strange spectral beauty, like a hunted shipwreck, with weak lights in the portholes that could be taken for souls trapped onboard. Ace could not refrain:

"_And now any night when a storm fills the sky _

_They say that a ghost ship sails in it's eye_

_Fleet and swift is the Dark Lady…"_

Dumbledore smiled a little while Snape, not far, masked his amusement behind a small cough.

"||Keep an eye on Karkaroff.||" advised Dumbledore.

Ace nodded his head and watched the fur capes' students walk toward the school, lead by a man with a smooth silver cape, like his short hair. Despite his smile when he greeted Dumbledore, his eyes stayed cold and piercing. But a familiar voice alerted Ace, and he raised an eyebrow, recognizing the Quidditch star.

"... no trouble. Oh, and we have the privilege to have a War Mage this year." said Dumbledore pulling Ace's attention back on the conversation.

"Will he participate to the tournament?" asked Karkaroff looking through the crowd.

"Mr. Portgas, if you could move up. No, he is too young for it."

Ace moved forward to them.

He knew why he was put highlighted like this. It was a warning for the guests and publicity for the school.

The young pirate bowed while maintaining the Bulgarian's eye contact.

"Portgas D. Ace is my name. Please follow me."

This time there was no niceties, but a respectful cold. He lead the Bulgars toward the Great Hall, feeling Ron's jealousy through his Haki.

"Tell me, young man.. you don't seem English... Where are you from?"

"I am of Japanese nationality." answered Ace. "Please sit where you want."

Ace bowed and went to offer his help to Argus Filch who was adding chairs to the professors' table.

"Happy to be put forward, hum, brat?" growled the concierge.

"Rooo, I have not done any dirty tricks, this year." smiled Ace.

He then waited for the teachers to take their place, before going between Flitwick and McGonagall.

"How does it feel to be highlighted?" teased the small professor.

"I feel brutally powerful."sneered the pirate, removing his hat.

Dumbledore made a little speech, and the meal started.

Hermione had a small laugh and shower Ace at the teacher's table.

"Wow, he made an effort!" exclaimed Neville seeing the D.

"He eats slowly and properly, for once. Not like ten." slowly teased Hermione.

Ron continued to mumble against Ace.

"You had to choose to be War Mage, Ron." said Harry. "Would you have had the courage to fight a werewolf on a full moon?"

"That's not courage, but pure insanity." pointed Hermione. "It's a miracle he did not lose his eye."

Ace continued to enjoy the meal, holding himself correctly, only briefly watching the last two guests, Verpey and Crouch.

Then the meal ended and Dumbledore made an additional small speech, before a relic was brought, in a nice wooden box covered in precious stones, which greatly interested the pirate. Dumbledore tapped the box with his wand three times and it unlock to show a roughly carved cup. The cup in itself did not seem special, but in it, blue flames where joyfully dancing.

.

.

In the tower, the conversation was about who was going to volunteer.

"You're going to do it Ace, no? You're old enough, despite the runes." whispered Hermione.

"Na, Dumbledore has put enough attention on me, it's good. I'm going to bed."

"You're earlier than usual."

"Because I intend to get up early tomorrow, to run without being disturbed. Oyasoumi.

.

.

Ace was aware of the attention that was on him, without even looking. He could not in any case, since he was blindfolded. And losing focus would only result in a hit from the Whomping Willow and therefore flames.

"Portgas! We are going to see Hagrid, are you coming!?" called Harry somewhere in the crowd.

"I'm training, maybe I'll go see him later on!" answered Ace jumping above a branch.

"As you wish! See you later!"

Ace made a sound of agreeing and continued his dodging competition against the tree.

Until he hear a Bulgarian mock him saying how easy it was and moving forward to prove it, ignoring the English's smirks.

Ace acted quickly, allowing the Bulgarian to get out of it alive. He heard Luna cast an immobilization spell toward the tree, allowing Ace to take a break in his exercise, to clear things up.

"It's not because things seem easy that they are, ahou. Some big training is needed to get to my level. I have been teaching many students for the last year, almost a quarter awoke the technique. But they will still be unable to do anything close to this for many years. So don't insult mu job, and don't gamble your life for nothing."

On that, Ace sent the guy back toward the crowd, before blindfolding himself again. Luna stopped the spell and with a little smile and watched Ace play cat and mouse with the tree.

.

.

During the Halloween Feast, Ace was once again in his winter outfit and at the professors' table.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"Something is going to happen tonight." whispered Ace to McGonagall.

Minerva looked at him and frowned.

"My guts are telling me."

After the long meal, Dumbledore rose. Maxime and Karkaroff were tense, Verpey was fooling around and Crouch seemed deeply bored. Ace was tapping the table with the tip of his fingers, leaving burns on the tablecloth.

All the candles extinguished at a sign from Dumbledore, and everyone stared at the Fire Cup, waiting.

Suddenly, the Cup's flames became red, throwing sparkling sprays. A second later, a fire whip gushed and a dark parchment flew in the air. The assembly hold their breathe.

Dumbledore caught the parchment and kept it at the arm's length to read it in the fire light, that were blue, there was a name on it.

"Durmstrang's champion," he announced in a clear and deep voice, "Viktor Krum!"

Thunderous applause and acclamation sounded in the room.

Viktor got up and walked toward the teachers' table. He went along it and disappeared behind, in the door to the neighbouring room.

Silence came back and everyone's attention was back on the Cup, who had red flames once again. A second paper flew out.

"Beauxbatons' champion," announced Dumbledore, "Is Fleur Delacour!"

The Veela descendant got up gracefully, throwing back her silver hair behind her, and followed Krum's way.

And finally the last champion was announced.

"Cedric Diggory!"

Ace greeted Cedric by a head nod and a smile while clapping.

While Dumbledore was doing his conclusion speech, the Cup flared once again.

"Harry Potter."

Ace could not suppress his growl.


	20. Dragons !

Chapter 20: Dragons !

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

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||Japanese||

'

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Ace stayed in the corner of the office, forgotten by the other occupants. Verpey finally left, quite deep in alcohol, leaving the pirate alone with the Director.

"Potter did not move from the dormitory. I don't know who is the culprit, but I have my idea..." sighted Ace.

"Who?" asked Albus motioning the chair to Ace.

"The last person that we would be suspicious of..."

Ace gave him a look, and the director, understanding who the commander was thinking of, pensively petted his beard.

"I want you to keep your blade on you, all the time. So it may serve as a warning... and possibly calm things down. If someone wants to attack Harry, they will think twice by seeing you.

Ace nodded.

"I also managed to get your authorization for Hogsmeade, signed by someone named Silver Rayleigh."

He gave a paper to Ace, making the teen raised an eyebrow.

It was true that that man was his godfather, whether he likes it or not. He had been so uninterested with his late father previous entourage... He probably saw Rayleigh only two or three times, in Shabaody. They had basically played chess, talking about the world, nothing more.

"Thank you for the authorization." mumbled Ace, stuffing it in his pocket.

"I contacted Gringotts as well. Unfortunately, they don't want to look into the vaults until I give them back Gryffindor's sword. And since it became one of very few ways to destroy a Horcrux..."

"I see," answered Ace. "I think I found where the dangerous voice is in the castle. Well, more like reduced the search field between the fifth and seventh floor. Before Christmas, I should have it."

"And Occlumency?"

"Stand still with Potter..."

"Do continue to try. And keep your eyes open."

"That's what I keep doing... On this, I will wish you good night."

Ace got up and moved to the exit, before turning back remembering something.

"Sir Padfoot is back."

"Thank you for the information, Commander."

And Ace went down the stairs.

Quickly, he was in the common room, as loud as ever, full of festivities. Climbing the stars, and avoiding everyone, Ace went up to the dormitory's calm. Potter and Weasley's lack of snores indicated they had a fight.

Ace knocked on the side of the Boy Who Lived's bed, who peered from a crack in the curtains, before opening them wide, seeing it was Ace.

"I did not put my name in the Cup." assured Ace straightening up and throwing a deadly gaze toward the redhead's bed.

"Oh, I know. I think I know you enough to know you wouldn't do a thing this stupid." commented Ace shrugging. "Demo, if someone did put it in, it was to make sure you would have to participate to the tournament and therefore be, at the very least, hurt. Something is starting, Potter. We are going to be a lot more serious in our training from now on. Oyasoumi."

Ace turned to lay his nodachi on his bed, on Harry's other side. He started to undress when Potter talked.

"Portgas... Thanks... Thank you for believing me."

"It's nothing" assured Ace.

"Good night."

"Humm..."

Harry went back to bed and closed his curtains again.

It's was strange... Ron, who had known him since they started Hogwarts, should know he would never do it... and yet, a guy he knew for only a year truly knew something was wrong and believed him.

.

.

When Harry went down to the common room in the morning, dreading of going in the Great Hall and sit in the house's table, he was relieved to see Hermione and Ace waiting for him by the portrait.

"Good morning." said Hermione.

"Potter." welcomed Ace, his nodachi in his arms.

"Morning to you both..." mumbled the boy.

"Shall we go take a walk?" proposed Ace. "We could go eat in a place a little calmer."

"Good idea." approved Harry with gratitude.

Ace led them to the seventh floor and the Requirement Room. This time, the room duplicated a huge mess hall with food on every table, but not a single soul in sight.

The three students took seat at a table and ate breakfast as peacefully as possible.

"Ace told me. I already knew you didn't put it in yourself." said Hermione, to Harry's relieve. "Someone is after your life. You had to see Dumbledore's face when he said your name! Now we need to find who put your name in your stead, Harry... No student would have been able to trick the Cup..."

"Have you seen Ron?" interrupted Harry.

Hermione hesitated, but Ace was directly honest:

"Ano ahou got up about the same time as I. He went to eat when I went to jog."

"He still things I'm the one who put my name in..."

"You don't get it Potter, that's not why he acts like this. It's just a pathetic jealousy crisis."

"Jealous?" repeated Harry, incredulous. "Jealous of what? He wants to ridicule himself in front of the whole school in my stead?"

"Listen to me," said Hermione with patience, "you know people are always interested about you. Hey, it's not your fault," she quickly added seeing Harry opening his mouth with a furious look. "I know you're not responsible for it, well... Ron already has to suffer competition with all of his brothers at home and here, because you're his best friend, and famous, you get all the attention. Usually he takes it without saying anything, but I guess it was one too many..."

"Don't tire yourself, Potter, we know you would give almost anything for people to stop being interested in you." assured Ace turning a toast in his milk coffee. "The best thing to do right now, is to contact Padfoot. Don't worry about Weasley. He will understand his error on his own."

"That's a bad idea." answered Harry. "He came back because of my scar, what would it be if he heard about the tournament!?"

"He will know, one one or another, most likely by the press, Potter. It's better you tell him than he reads it on the front page."

The room seemed to be against Harry since the breakfast disappeared and instead, a parchment, ink and pen appeared.

"And which owl should I use? He told me to avoid Hedwig."

A hoot answered from a little further, from a seemingly common owl which just appeared on the table.

With a growl, Harry started. Once the letter was done and attached to the owl's leg, a window opened and the animal took flight.

"By the way, where are we?" asked Harry. "I know we came in the Requirement Room, but usually, you make a gym appear."

"We are in the Moby Dick's mess hall. Shall we get to work?"

.

.

Ace pulled his nose out of his book hearing someone clear his throat.

"Krum ka? What can I do for you?" inquired Ace, perplex.

"Can I sit herrre?" asked the Bulgarian.

Ace removed the nodachi from the table to lay it against it instead, before motioning to the chair in front of him.

Krum sat down, and dropped a few books on the table.

"Thank yoou."

"Domo."

Ace took his pen and stroked through something in the notes he was reading, before adding some details to it.

"Sorry, I'm a little late." apologized Hermione joining Ace. "I tried to persuade Ron to reconcile with Harry, but he acts like he doesn't hear me. They went to their detention with Snape."

She froze when she noticed Krum at the table, who rose his head hearing her.

"I was going to talk about something with Hermione, is that an issue?" asked Ace to Krum.

"None." assured the Bulgarian.

"Hermione Granger." self introduced the young miss.

"Viktor Krum."

They shook hands.

"Portgas D. Ace. Ace is my first name, you weirdos do everything upside down."

He shook the Bulgar's hand and Hermione took a seat.

"I finished to read your work, Hermione. You quite grasped the concept, and the explanations are great, minus two or three minus issues. I made some corrections."

Hermione excitedly took the notes Ace was holding to her and speed read through the annotations.

"Very well, so I will do a final copy and ask Mrs Pinch what needs to be done. The students will probably be happy to have some theory behind Haki."

Krum looked up, confused.

"Haki? Sorry but what..."

"Iie, iie, no trouble." assured Ace. "Haki is a discipline that pushed the mind so it perceives many things around us and allow us to influence it. It's almost unknown. I am a rather good user of Haki and working to teach it to others. Unfortunately, books about it do not exist, and Hermione wanted to fix that."

"Oh." answered Krum, impressed.

"If you're interested, I could give you a translated copy." said Hermione, blushing."

"That would be grrreat, thank you."

.

.

Ace was sipping his hot chocolate (he had tried Butterbeer, but it was insult toward any real bear.) and was chatting with Hermione and Harry in one of the remote tables in the Three Broomstick tavern. Well, from anyone else's perspective, it seemed to only be Ace and Hermione, since Potter was hiding under his invisibility cape.

That is when Moody and Hagrid came toward them. Ace ward nervously playing with his nodachi during the whole exchange, never removing his eyes from the ex-auror, himself looking at the pirate with his good eye.

When they left, Harry told them what Hagrid wanted: that he comes to his hut with his cape. Only issue it would make him late for Sirius.

"I could switch with you" suggested Ace. "I take your cape and go down there."

"And if Hagrid asks that he removes his cape?" inquired Hermione.

"Depending on where we are, I'll find an excuse. In addition, I have an animagus shape that helps me hide in the night."

Harry sighted in relief.

With this sorted out, they enjoyed their afternoon as much as possible.

At eleven thirty that night, Ace faked going to bed early, to put on the invisibility cloak that Harry had previously put under his pillow. Once under it, he transformed and was happy to see he was still well hidden under it. On his feline paws, he silently slipped into the common room, slightly brushing against Harry who was trying to do his homework, reminding his that he was going. Ace then walked to the portrait. He waited two minutes before, at the agreed time, Hermione arrived from the corridor, making the door open. A slight paw tap to show his gratitude, he slipped through the opening to go down to Hagrid's hut.

Once in the dark park, Ace quickly trotted to the shack and transformed back, still under the cloak. He lightly knocked on the door.

"Is it you, harry?" whispered Hagrid opening the door to look outside.

"Yes, the twins made quite a mayhem in the tower tonight. We need to be quick, otherwise McGonagall risks to realize that I am not there, if she comes to see what they are up do." smoothly lied Ace, speaking low to hide the voice difference.

"True. Let's go. Don't make any noise and stay hidden under your cloak. We won't be bringing Fang, he would not like it..."

And Hagrid exited the hut. His attempts to do his hair both clear and definitive failures, just like the buttonhole flower.

Oh, Hagrid had a date?

He took his panther's shape once again and followed Hagrid. They made a stop to grab Madame Maxime. They then walked beside a grove of tree. Ace slipped in their shades and could see two fires just behind some trees. Bonfires with quite a few _voices, _inconvenient.

He moved a little closer and fell on his ass.

Dragons...

Four enormous and ferocious looking dragons sat up on their hinge legs, inside a closed thick wooden enclosure. Neck stretched, throwing fire up to 15 meters above the ground.

One of them, in a beautiful silvery blue shade, pointed horns, was growling and slamming his jaw trying to bite any of the wizards surrounding him. Another with smooth green scales was twisting around, trampling the ground with his massive weight. The third, deep red, his head crowned with a weird looking golden spikes, was spiting fire in huge mushroom shaped clouds. Finally, the closest one was a gigantic black dragon whose shape reminded a dinosaur's.

The fact that seven or eight wizards were needed to control them only proved the danger of those creatures. Which was not surprising feeling their voices...

Ace stayed long enough to understand what was happening, and grabbing two or three relevant information, before running back to the castle, noticing Karkaroff on his way up. Apparently the Durmstrang's director came to see what was happening as well.

A few minutes later, Ace was back in his human shape, in front of the Fat Lady who accepted the password in her sleep, letting the young man enter. Harry turned his head his way and caught the cloak Ace threw at him.

"Dragons. Freaking dragons. That's the first task. I think Krum and Delacour will quickly be notified, since I saw both Maxime and Karkaroff. Tomorrow, in the library, we will work on it. Black, I leave you to your godson."

"Portgas." greeted Sirius' head from the fireplace.

Ace climbed the stairs four at a time and went to bed. His mind speeding a thousand mile an hour, looking for anything to help Potter's survival.

Sleep still found him quickly, preventing him to notice Ron go down to the common room.

.

.

Harry thought Portgas truly had lost it.

"You want me to WHAT?!" exclaimed Harry.

Thankfully they were walking down to breakfast.

"That you take the dragons by his feelings. After that, you can also play with your own strengths. What are you good at?"

"Not many things..."

"Except Defence." interjected Hermione.

Harry looked at her, unconvinced.

"You have another strength I believe, Potter. One you share with my Patronus. You're fairly good at flying, that is also where your strength resides."

"But I am only allowed my wand!"

Ace and Hermione shared an annoyed look and turned to him, right before they entered the Great Hall.

"Harry James Potter. Are you a wizard or not? Make the soft grey thing between your ears – also called a brain – work!" said Ace. "Hermione, if you please!"

"Accio apple!"

An apple floated straight from one of the salad bowl on Gryffindor's table and she caught it with a smile.

"It's either this, or you transfigure a rock into a baby dragon." said Ace while they went to sit down.

"Why would I do that transfiguration?" inquired Harry.

"Use your brain." answered Hermione.

"They are mothers incubating their eggs. The eggs are therefore important in this. And if there is one thing true for almost the entire Animal Kingdom, it is the maternal instinct and survival of the species. Even if it's not her own, a mother will protect a baby dragon, rather then worry about eggs that may never come to term. Show her a baby in danger and she will immediately forget about her own eggs, and you. What do you choose?"

Between flying and transfiguration, which he wasn't great at, Harry chose the former.

"Very well, we will temporary stop our usual training so that you can master this stupid spell."

"Portgas, do you see Diggory before Tuesday?"

"Yeah, I have his year when you have botanic."

"Could you give him a message on my behalf?"

.

.

"That's it for today! You can grab your things, your hell is done until next class!"

The sixth years made a wave satisfied groan, all black and blue like never before. They took their things and went on their way.

"Diggory, a moment." called Ace.

Cedric stayed behind, while Ace grabbed his own things. He looked in his pockets and grabbed a message which he gave to the Hufflepuff.

"Potter wanted me to give you this. Have a nice day."

And Ace left.

.

.

Harry could not do this anymore. He tried to focus hard but he could only see the drooling face of a dragon every time an item on which he cast the spell failed and fell halfway. He almost skipped Divination but Hermione did not want to miss Arithmetic and Ace told him his own studies were payed by Hogwarts as long as he gave Haki... he could therefore not skip a class he was teaching.

Harry deeply regretted his decision since for the next half hour, Professor Trelawney explained in detail how Mars position compared to Saturn meant that those born in July were in danger to die suddenly and in a violent fashion.

"Very well." said harry, loosing his calm. "As long as it's quick, it's all I ask. I don't want to suffer, and I'm almost positive that Portgas would volunteer to kill me."


	21. Prince?

Chapter 21: Prince?

'

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

'

' T/N: Thank you for the reviews, it's interesting to learn what readers are thinking about, and their hopes for the story. Just a reminder that since I am merely the translator, I do not change the story from the original author's (Zialema) story.

'

'

'

Ace was in the bleachers with Luna. No way in hell was he going to hang out with Ron.

"Weasley is an idiot." said Luna.

"I won't contradict you on that." sighted Ace.

"What should we expect from Harry Potter?"

"A flight lesson."

They silently watched the performance of the champions, enthusiastically clapping Cedric's and politely the other two.

Than it was Harry's turn. He entered the arena, rather nervous, and raised his wand:

"Accio FireBolt!"

For a few desperate seconds, nothing happened, than the broom was going straight to it's owner, who quickly climbed and made for the sky, where he relaxed a little.

All the spectators were speechless watching the young boy dance around the dragon, trying to get her to take flight. It was easy to see he mastered just enough Haki to feel, without watching, the flames and tail strokes. He was not able to avoid them all, one slip his attention, which ended slashing his shoulder.

"By Merlin's Beard!" exclaimed Verpey. "That's what is called flying! Are you seeing this Krum!?"

Ace raised an eyebrow, bent toward Luna, a sneer on his lips, and told her really low:

"Remind me to ask Marco to put them back in their places, they know nothing about what it truly is to fly."

"I will think about it." assured Luna in a singing voice.

Finally, Harry managed to get the gold egg.

"Look at this!" screamed Ludo over the crowd, "No, but look at this! Our youngest champion was the fastest to grab his egg! This will increase the bets on Mr Potter!"

Ace saw Ron and Hermione get up to leave the bleachers, running.

"Shall we go down?" suggested Luna.

Ace nodded.

They go up and left the bleachers. The went around the exit of the arena, to joing Harry, exiting the healing tent with both Hermione and Ron. Hermione in front, and in tears.

"Woah, what happened to you?" worried Ace seeing the young witch cry in his arms.

Hermione had a small laugh and tried to dry her tears.

"Boys are really stupid!" she said.

Ace raised his eyebrow once more.

"CAUTION!" howled Charlie's voice.

Everyone turned to see the Magyar decided to take a freedom hike... or to get vengeance on Harry since the dragon managed to free herself and was storming her way toward them.

The next second, many wizards wondered if they did not have an eye sight issue. Ace had only stared at the dragon waving his hand toward it's snout. He lowered his arm to have it as the extension from his shoulder, and the dragon fell on it's four paws, her mouth closed shut, trembling in fear. Seemingly crazy, Ace went closer and petted her scales, smiling. The dragon had some sort of purring, looking for more affection from Ace.

"You're a nice girl..." smiled Ace.

"By Merlin's Beard, what did you do?" exclaimed Charlie arriving with his colleagues.

A large crowd had gathered close to the arena. Every champions, the juries, and almost all of the student's and staff of Hogwarts were there, mouths open wide in front of such an unnatural scene.

"Nothing, I just told her I was stronger than her, that's all... she's a nice girl, right beautiful? I am almost tempted to rename you... Curly Dadan, that would be a good name for you! She was my nanny! A ferocious women, and powerful who hid her affection in her gestures, instead of her words..."

He continued to speak to the dragon, who was purring in pleasure, before the dragonologists moved in to take care of her.

"Portgas... I think all of Hogwarts agree on the fact that, if it had been you the champion, we would have won easily..." commented Cedric in a nervous chuckle.

"Nah, it would have been too easy..." pointed Ace watching the dragon leave with sadness.

"I can give you my miniature, if you want her." suggested Harry giving his the animated figurine of the black dragon.

Ace had a childish smile and thank him, taking the figurine.

"I think this concludes the incident." concluded Dumbledore. "The judges are reuniting to announce the grades of Mr. Potter."

And everyone turned back toward the arena to take back their seats. Ron stayed as far as possible from Ace when he noticed the dark glare the pirate was giving him.

"Can I suggest an article about you to the Quibbler, having for tittle: 'The Man who Whispers in the Dragon's Ears?" asked Luna with hope.

They looked the judges' grades.

"No, thank you." answered Ace.

Mme Maxime gave an eight.

"It would make a great article... A fourth year student who manages to make a dragon purr..." insisted Luna.

Mr Crouch gave a nine.

"Yada."

Ludo Verpey... ten.

Ace and Luna stared, surprised.

"That guy really want to make Potter win." commented Ace.

Dumbledore gave a nine.

"Speaking of purring, Taishou, can panthers purr?"

"|NANI|?!"

Karkaroff gave a four, which did not make him very popular. Apparently Potter was not the outcast.

"What?"

Ace preferred avoiding to comment.

'

'

'

A high shriek invaded the Common Room when Harry opened the Golden Egg. The only possible comparison was the Musical Saw orchestra that played on the Death Anniversary of Nearly Headless Nick.

"Close it!" howled Fred, both hands pressing hard on his own ears.

"What the hell is that?" exclaimed Seamus looking at the now closed egg. "It sounded like a deadly spectre... Maybe that's what you will have to go against next Harry!"

"It sounded like someone was getting tortured!" mumbled Neville, who became livid and his food now on the ground. "They will throw the Cruciatis Curse and you will have to resist it! That will be the second task!"

"Don't talk rubbish, Neville, that's illegal." said George. "They would never use the Cruciatis against the champions. Personally, it reminded me of Percy's signing... Maybe you will have to attack him when he showers."

"I don't agree!" countered Ace. "I think my jiji sings like that, when he has one glass too many. Believe me, Potter. Monkey D. Garp, is a monster when sober, but if you have to attack him when he is dunk, you can already write your will!"

"Monkey D.? But your name is Portgas." commented Dean.

"He adopted me."

"Ooooooh..."

"So, I think the egg should be put under different conditions, to see if there are any changes. Who know, when it's set aflame, alone in a room, thrown from the Astronomy Tower... maybe it will get different reactions and will get access to the enigma. You know where _the_ room is, Potter? Can I trust you to work seriously on this?"

"I do want to survive, Portgas. Thanks for worrying. You won't be using it this weekend?"

"I'll be around, with Tsuki no Hime. You're not the only one trying to learn Bunsoshoku."

'

'

'

Ace caught Rita by the arm before she managed to come any closer to Care of the Magical Creature class.

"Oh, I remember you, you're the young man that tamed a dragon so easily? What's your name, sweetheart? What do you think of the work from the Tournament's officials about the security? Do you have any ambitions to work with dragons? Who do you think is going to win the Tournament?"

Ace forcefully pulled Rita through the portal and closed it in front of her face.

"Come back once more, and I will teach you something about me... my surname."

"And what is it?" smile Rita hooking her raptor's fingers on the bars.

"Hiken."

Ace turned back around to return to class.

'

'

'

Harry asked Hermione why she was so kin on losing her time trying to force evolution on the wizard's mentality on house elves treatment, and she had dragged him to the kitchen to show him what well treated house elves were like.

They found Winky, but even more surprisingly, Dobby.

And Dobby dropped quite a shocking fact about Ace...

"Harry Potter did not know he had a Prince within his friends?" naively wondered the house elf. "House Elves know many things! Even if they don't see them, they know! House Elves know that the War Mage is Kaizoku no Ouji-Sama!"

"Eh?" was the smartest answer Harry managed.

Dobby had simply nodded his head.

Hermione just told him to forget it, but it was impossible for the boy. He had looked for a dictionary to find the translation that intrigues him so much.

Prince of Pirates.

It was true that the back tattoo Hermione had restored – which was sometimes visible through some of the shirts Ace wore – showed a pirate ensign...

Actually, with Ace, there was always something that brought him back to pirates...

Remembering that Hermione managed to have answers by talking directly to Ace, Harry decided to try the same.

"Portgas... can I ask you a question?"

"Hmmm?" was Ace's answer, busy looking up something in his chest.

"The House Elves call you Kaizoky no Ouji... the Pirate Prince. Why?"

Ace instantly froze. Slowly, he straightened up, his face tilted forward, hiding his eyes.

The next second, Harry had the tip of Ace's nodachi straight under his throat and his friend was staring at him with silver eyes, reminding murder...

"Don't. EVER. Call. Me. That. Ever. Again. Wakatta?" hissed Ace.

Harry swallowed and, not trusting his own voice, nodded his head.

"I am one of henchmen of the Lord of the Oceans, and, in no way, the Pirate Prince. Anyone that even insinuates that I am the son of that man... will die under my blade. Now that you have been warned, you will forget that I even exist."

He sheathed his blade and left the dormitory at the same time, leaving a worried and perplex Harry behind.

The boy went down to the Common Room to see Ace walk out of the Tower like a hurricane.

"What happened to him?" asked Ron.

"Let me guess... you asked him about what Dobby said?" guessed Hermione with a reproachful look.

Harry stayed silent and dropped himself on one of the armchairs. Rubbing his hand against his throat, unable to remove the sensation of the cold metal...

"If I told you to forget about it, it was for a good reason." said Hermione. "What you did is not simply twisting the knife in the wound, Harry. It's grabbing it hands down and pulling it open, brutally!"

"What are you both talking about?" inquired Ron.

"We went to the kitchen to see the house elves and saw Dobby and Winky." explained Harry. "One thing led to another and we ended up talking about Portgas, and Dobby was talking of him, calling him the Pirate Prince."

Ace burst laughing from the unlikely fact.

"His exact words were Kaizoku no Ouji." corrected Hermione. "And you should never have bring up the topic with Ace!"

"Why?" asked Harry.

"I'm able to keep my secrets, me."

And she brutally closed her Runes book before going up to her dormitory.

'

'

'

The next few days were miserable. Ace was part of the gang, now, but refused to say even a single word to either Harry or Ron. When either of them tried to start a conversation with the pirate, their wizard clothes suddenly burst on fire, or, when he was toying with his nodachi, making the threat quite clear.

Often, they could see Hermione try to talk to him, to reason with him, but it seems he was stubborn as a mule. And yet, he could give them classes about obstinacy. The rest of the time, he was either with Neville, or with Luna which who he spoke in Japanese.

Harry was not even able to panic in front of the second task, or finding a girl for the ball... For a short while, when leaving Metamorphosis class, and understanding that he would need to seek a partner for the opening of the ball, he wondered who Ace would invite. He had never shown any interest in women...

As if Lavender had read his thoughts, she went to see Ace, who was talking with Neville, a little further down the corridor.

"Portgas... would you be my partner for the Christmas Ball?"

"Iie. Wari." answered Ace shaking his head.

"Do you already have someone?" the girls asked, hopeful.

"Oi! Tsuki no Hime!"

Apparently the Ravenclaws third year were going to McGonagall's class.

"Yes, Taisho?" asked the girl in her soaring voice.

"You got someone for the ball?"

"No. It does not bother me more than that."

Surprising everyone, Ace walked up to her, laid his blade on the ground before taking a knee and grabbing her hand, with a charming smile and malicious eyes.

"Would you be so kind to save me from this community, of which you are the sole representative crazy enough to support me?"

Luna faked thinking a little and smiled to the pirate:

"If you talk to me about your confrontation against Jimbe, or the many times you tried to take Newgate's head, I might very well accept."

"It seems we reached an agreement."

He kissed the back of her hand and picked his weapon back before moving away.

"Now, I have a someone for the ball!" loudly announced Ace.

Hermione pulled his ear and dragged him upstream of the group, so they could be alone:

"I thought you were gay." she hissed.

"I am." confirmed Ace in a low voice. "Luna knows, and she also knows I love someone, and that I went to her only as a friend. I would have asked you, but I know you would like another knight to bring you."

Hermione stayed frozen, blushing like a tomato, allowing Ace to get his ear back.

'

'

'

On Christmas day, Ace stayed in the Requirement Room with Luna, training her relentlessly.

"You should talk to him." said the young Ravenclaw while blocking a staff hit with her own.

She dodged and went for his head, only to be blocked midway.

"No way. I don't want to be hurt again by that topic... I won't open up again to that kid, to give him weapons he can use against me like an immature child!"

Luna did not comment any further and focused once again on their fight.

Ace was an uncompromising teacher after all.

'

'

'

Harry stared at the package he found in the middle of his gifts.

It was the Muggle book he had wanted to give to Ace. He had put it back in the boy's pile, without even opening it. 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. On the opposite, Ron and him both had a gift from Ace, with a message that it was to compensate the lack of at last Christmas. Ron received a book about the history of his favourite Quidditch team and Potter one tracking back the best catchers in the history of Quidditch.

"He send your gift back as well?" mumbled Ron.

"There is still his birthday in a few days, I'll try again..." sighted Harry while putting his book in his trunk.

"What did you do to him?" wondered Seamus.

"According to Hermione, I was acting like a fool before the first task. I knew what I did was stupid, but I apologized..." grumbled Ron his ears reddening.

"I think I stepped in it, but I don't know the how nor the why." sighted Harry.

"That story about Portgas being a prince?" asked Dean. "That's how the house elf called him."

Harry nodded.

"Well now we know we better not to talk about it with him." pointed Seamus.

Neville seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment, before going back to his own gifts.

'

'

'

"If I have seen Ace?" repeated Fred, while the Gryffindors were walking down to the Great Hall for the ball. "Did you look at the map?"

"He's not on it."

"That's strange..."

They were unable to discuss further. The enigma of where Hermione was was was resolved.

She was escorted by Viktor Krum, she had done a marvelous job that rendered her unrecognizable: straight soft hair, pulled back elegantly to her neck, a vaporous blue dress, was standing straight, smiling a little nervously, showing to those who did not know, her perfect teeth.

"Oh, Portgas stood up Loony! He must have realize how crappy it was to invite her!" laughed a girl.

Everyone was watching the silvery Ravenclaw, dress in a sober and elegant way, without a single article, nor Butterbeer capsules necklace.

"Wari Luna, I'm late!"

Everyone turned to see the top of the stairs, and therefore Portgas walking down in his kimono and hakama. From the slight light of the torches and candles, the cloth strange color let one think he was wearing pure flames. He had no visible weapons, and a pointed straw had on his head. His hair was braided in a short braid. On his strange shoes, he walked down the stairs nonchalantly and stopped once he reached Luna.

"Konbanwa, Tsuki no Hime-sama." greeted a malicious Ace, briefly removing his hat to bow to the young lady.

"Konbanwa, Nibantai Taishou-san," smiled Luna, bowing back.

Ace reached his arm out, to which Luna hooked herself, after being complimented.

"You are ravishing as well, Hermione." smiled Ace. "Krum, take care of her, or I will show you what I can do with a blade on a thing you truly do not want to lose."

Hermione had a shining smile, which only reminded Ace that her dresses' color went perfectly with her complexion, and Krum answer Ace with:

"Of course, Porrrrrtgas."

Ace but his straw hat back on his head and, soon, the Champions entered the Great Hall for the ball.

They went to sit with Neville and Ginny to have a nice diner.

"Oh, Ace... Dobby went by and he is worried that you and Harry were in some sort of Cold War." announced Neville with the same intonation.

"I'm not surprised that you are angry against Ron, he's an idiot, I would be the last one to deny it." said Ginny. "But I don't get what happened with Harry?"

"He is not aware that his curiosity is pushing me on painful subject which I might not want to talk about." simply answered Ace. "I can only assume the elf called me by the very name for which I am currently pissed at Potter."

Neville nodded his head. Luna tapped on Ace's arm with compassion.

"You know what this is all about?" wondered Ginny, staring at Luna.

"I know more thing that what it seems." answered the girl in a dreamy voice.

The meal ended and the champions opened the ball.

"Shall we go?" suggested Luna.

"You know how to dance, Ace?" asked an astonished Neville.

Ace did not manage NOT to blush. He escaped toward the dance floor with Luna, instead of answering the embarrassing question.

"That story must be even more interesting than the one about the fight with Doma" smiled Luna while Ace made her turn.

"I will never tell it." answered Ace, continuing to lead.

"Oh, why not?"

Luna made her biggest puppy eyes she could manage, immediately reminding Ace of Luffy when he kept refusing during their childhood.

"Because the end of the story is not PG.

Luna blushed, reading between the lines, and dropped the matter.

Ace noticed Percy looking, or rather staring at him, he leaned on Luna.

"Go to the bathroom at the end of the song, I need to check in with my spy. This way, no one will say I stood you up, ok? I'll find you as soon as I'm done with him."

"No trouble" ensured the young Ravenclaw.

They danced a bit more, than Luna kissed Ace on the cheek before she went away. The pirate tilted his hat on his face, and went toward the exit, crossing Percy on the way.

"Seventh floor, painting of the wizard teaching the trolls to dance."

With that, Ace disappeared in the crowd. He quickly reached the stairs, removing his shoes to go faster.

He reached the corridor and sprinted three times back and forth before a door opened, revealing a carbon copy of what used to be the Commanders' meeting room.

He sat on one of the chairs and put his shoes back on. Later, Percy joined him telling him about the latest information and gave him a big fat folder on what he managed to gather on his boss.

"Something is wrong in his behaviour, from what I can read, he isn't acting like himself..." mumbled Ace. "Another thing, I have my doubts about Moody, can you get me info on him?"

"Moody? On the payroll of a dark wizard?" wondered a skeptical Percy.

"I'm tending more toward impersonification... which could explain the incident with the trashcans during summer..."

Percy seemed to think it over, and nodded his head.

"Something else."

Ace asked the room something in Japanese, two denden mushi with orange cowboy hats and flame patterns appeared.

"These are denden mushi, they are connected to each other." explained the pirate. "You just need to pick up, press the button beside the handset and the other one will ring. If I have to ask you something, it will be around 10 or 11pm that I will contact you."

"Then I shall use the same schedule." said Percy putting the snail in one of his pockets.

"Give it a salad leaf per day and it should be happy. They are telepathic snails."

"I will never let my father come close to it." laughed Percy.

"He won't be able to find any anywhere. Is this all you needed to tell me?"

"No. Lucius Malfoy and a few others say having been forced, under Imperius to take Snake Face's mark, are starting to act strangely."

"Yeah, my source on that side tells me the Dark Mark is getting neater and more precise every day. Something will happen during the Tournament, and I'm pretty sure it will lead to the comeback of Snake Face. Anything else?"

"That's about it, I will contact you if I find anything new."

"I registered our discussion. It should be in Dumbledore's hand before midnight."

The two accomplices greeted each other and left the room, before splitting paths. Ace went to meet Luna in the bathroom, trying to comfort Hermione in tears.

"Ace!"

Here it comes…

Ace found himself with a crying Granger in his arms.

"Who do I need to kill?" asked the pirate with a deep sight.

"Weasley had a jealousy crisis." explained Luna.

"Tch… don't worry, Hermione… come on…"

The trio went back to the Great Hall and quickly found Krum, who was apparently looking for Hermione.

"One of our fellow was a bitch to her, please, try to cheer her up to a smile for the end of the evening." half ordered Ace entrusting him with Hermione.

"No trrrouble."

Ace went back to the dance floor with Luna. They grazed Dumbledore, who was dancing with McGonagall, long enough to slip the Tone Dial in the director's pocket.


	22. February 24th

Chapter 22: February 24th

'

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

'

'

' **Warning**: Innuendo of homosexual relation. NO GRAPHIC. You have been warned.

'

'

Ace was walking around the humongous room that had become the Requirement Room. He managed to escape the improvised birthday celebration the twins tried to trap him with, rushing here instead. He had finally found where the dangerous feeling was coming from, and the room had morphed into some kind of huge cathedral looking room. He was looking almost blindly which was making him uncomfortable.

Finally he found himself in front of a silver tiara, which he held in his hands.

This think felt... unnatural. There was that same_ voice_ than the one stuck on Potter.

Ace knew it had to be destroyed. And_ quickly_. But first, he had to notify the director.

The Room made a tissue purse appear, in which he hid the jewel, before leaving the room running.

He was rushing through the corridors, jumping over the stairs' guardrails to arrive faster.

He finally arrived in front of the Gargoyle and howled the password. It barely started to move before Ace was entering the Office, using_ Geppou_ to arrive faster, surprising Dumbledore.

"Happy birthday, Commander! This is great timing, Fumseck just arrived" welcomed the old wizard, cleaning a patch of ash on his office.

The phoenix flew up to Ace and dropped a stack of letters in his hands.

"Arigatou, Fumseck." thanked the pirate.

He put the letters away in one of his pockets before moving up to the desk. There, he set the tiara on the purse.

"Merlin's Beard... Rowena Ravenclaw's Tiara... Where did you think it?" chocked the director.

"The Requirement Room."

"I'm sorry?"

"The Requirement Room. You know, magic room, seventh floor, in front of the dancing trolls class. Pass back and forth 3 times in the corridor, with a place in mind, and the Room will provide it. That's where I train and managed to get my akuma no mi. Tonikaku... this thing is a Hocruxe, I'm sure of it."

"One here? In the castle?"

"Other than Potter, yes."

Dumbledore examined the tiara, threw a few spells, before finally lowering his wand, a sober look on his face.

"It appears we will need indeed to destroy it. Do you want to check if you powers allow you to do it?"

Ace grabbed the Tiara, between his flaming hands. The jewel ended up twisted by the head, before a bright light and a shark howl of pain.

Then nothing.

The _voice_ was gone.

Ace stopped his flames and dropped the remains on Dumbledore's desk.

"This is sad, it was a beautiful crown." sighted Ace. "Good day and happy new year."

'

'

'

'

Ace close the Requirement Room door once his mischief managed. Malfoy had dared to attack Hagrid, for the sole reason that he was a half giant. Well, he was going to have a taste of it...

Draco startled awake feeling the weight of a fifteen year old on his bed.

A student with silver eyes and lighted up by green fireflies.

"I thought I had made it clear on what might happen to you should you continued to pester Hagrid-sensei, no?"

His feral smile was frightening the young blond who tried to escape... only to notice that his bed was not in the dormitories anymore.

"You can scream, no one will hear you..." sneered Ace.

'

'

'

"Don't you think that Malfoy is calmer?" mentioned Ron noticing the Slytherin had made himself quite small for a few days...

"That's true... it is strange." commented Harry.

They could not refrain from raising their eyebrows when Malfoy ran away when Ace walked in the corridor.

"Ace, what did you do?" accused Hermione.

Ron and Harry stayed behind her and were completely ignored by the young pirate, when they went toward Hogsmeade and Ace seemed quite decided to staying in the castle.

"Ore? Nothing." he denied.

And walked away.

The deadline to his reunion with Marco was coming closer and closer, he had better things to think about.

'

'

'

Harry jumped awake when Dobby shook him. To his horror he realized that the second task was starting in ten minutes. _Ten minutes_, and he was still clueless on how to do it.

And he had to rescue Ron!

That is when Dobby smiled and removed an envelope from his short.

"The Kaizoku Ouji-sama told me to give this to Harry Potter if he did not find a solution in time!"

Harry opened the envelope, found a small message and a piece of coral that Ace had shown to him during summer. There was also a hunting knife with it.

'Tighten the coral between your teeth, the way I showed you last summer and blow as much as needed to create an oxygen bubble.'

That was the whole message.

"Dobby did not know the Kaizoku Ouji wanted to stay anonymous. Dobby is sorry..." said Dobby griping his ears.

"Did he punish you?"

"No. Dumbledore explained to all the elves why he did not want to be called by that name, except to the ones already aware. Harry Potter must hurry!"

Harry ran toward the lake, holding the coral in his hand.

He had to find Ace to apologize and thank him after.

'

'

'

Ace threw himself flat on the ground, capturing a scarab in a glass jar.

Luna provided him with a magazine so it could block the jar and allow him the time to put it right side up and close it properly.

"Dad will be happy with the disappearance of that woman!" smiled Luna.

"So, Skeeter... I hope you like your new home?" sneered Ace holding the jar to the light and watching the scarab inside. "I guess it's always useful to have an ace, or rather, a journalist, in our cards."

Ace got back up and smiled to Luna.

"Shall we go hide her?"

"With pleasure!"

'

'

'

The super had just begun on the day of the Second Task.

The next test would be on June 24th.

While the students were questioning each other about the additional chairs on the teacher's table, some Gryffindors were thinking of other things.

"Where is Portgas?" asked Harry.

"He was present during the task, then he left abruptly when you got out of the water." explained Neville. "He left with Luna and he had that... smile... the one where you just don't want to be in his way..."

He shivered, leaving a thoughtful Hermione and perplexed Ron and Harry.

Soon enough Harry's attention was back on Ace's hunting knife which had been quite useful while underwater. It was clear Ace had used it for a long time, form the wear marks on the handle.

The doors to the Great Hall opened. Fourth year Gryffindors turned around, and the twins, and Lee, in the hope to see Portgas, only to be disappointed but intrigued.

And adult male just came in, a hooded cape on his shoulders, hiding his face and, strangely Fawkes was perched on his shoulder, letting himself being petted.

Slowly, the man walked to the Professors table, in silence only broken by the cape's rustling and his shoes on the stone.

His approach was soft, calm.. without seeing more of his silhouette, some could think it was Portgas, it was the same walk.

A warrior's walk.

Dumbledore got up, smiling when the man stopped in front of him.

The unknown male raised a hand to the phoenix, who rubbed itself as slowly as possible before going to the Director's hand, who put him down on the back of his chair.

"A pleasure to finally meet you, yoi." said the stranger. "Thank you once again for this priceless gift..."

His voice was calm, tranquil and exotic with a slight accent.

"It's a pleasure. We both win something from it." assured Dumbledore. "I thank you for taking a few days off your busy schedule."

The man laughed a bit.

"Seen what it represents, I really could not say no and, honestly, I'm making many jealous."

The man removed his hood, showing a long and oval face, a blond tuft of hair on the top and deep blue piercing and nonchalant eyes. Hermione's reaction meant she knew who the man was.

At the reveal of the man's face, an interested murmur from the sixth and seventh female students could be heard.

"Wizardlings! As I announced at the beginning of the year, we are welcoming a Haki master, to graciously offer a demonstration, in collaboration with Mr. Portgas... who seems absent, tonight."

"He's coming... He knows how to be wanted." snugged the man.

"Students, dear guests and members of the staff, it is my pleasure to present you master Marco Fushisho! He will take part in a few of your classes to witness the kind of education that we provide in Hogwarts, but will mostly be quite discrete. If you have any questions, do not hesitate."

And of course, Malfoy had to get into trouble:

"Why should he need to see what we do in class! He can't do magic?! There's no point! He has nothing to do here!"

Snape seemed exasperated, and looked at Marco, like he was expecting something from him.

"You bark quite a lot for a brat who knows nothing. Before you talk, learn, yoi." Marco replied. "You should know, _gakki_, that Haki masters are from a rather closed off community, yoi. We have our own vision of magic and our way of life which would most definitely displease a kid such as yourself, used to get everything on a silver plate before you could even talk. This does not change that you do not want to alienate us. I am surprise you have not caught fire yet, knowing the beast either he learned patience, or he's planing something worse than terrible burns, yoi."

"The beast? Who is he talking about." whispered Ron.

"Atchaaa! K'ssou, someone is talking in my back..." grumbled Ace, rubbing his nose while entering the room with Luna.

The duo stopped when they saw Marco standing close to the Professor's table. Ace's smile melted like snow in the sun. Luna greeted Marco with a gesture and a head nod, before joining her fellow Ravenclaws, leaving the Gryffindor alone on the threshold.

Slowly, Ace straightened and walked toward Marco biting his lips and his fists so tight they were white. A slight tremor was spreading as far as the red pompom on the end of his nodachi.

Harry noticed Hermione hooked herself to him with all her strength, one hand on her mouth, the other almost cutting his blood circulation. What was happening for her to react this way?

Ace arrived in front of Marco and handed him his nodachi, which the man took, before the dark headed student kneel down, closed fists against the ground, his head low in respect and submission.

"|| _My severe insubordination lead us straight to the slaughter where we lost many of our sibling, and Oyaji. I will accept whatever sentence chosen by the family. I darkened the name of Shirohige Kaizoku.||"_ announce Ace in Japanese.

"What is Portgas saying?" whispere Ron to Harry.

"Not the slightest idea."

"Shut up..." hissed Hermione.

Marco raised his fist to his face, blew on it and slowly giving it a dark colour. Those who did not take the Haki course were frowning in confusion, including the extra guests who were wondering what was happening. But those who had Ace as a teaching were gritting their teeth in compassion to their fellow student.

BAM!

"Iteeeee!" groaned Ace falling on his ass, a huge bump on his head.

"|| _Now that you have your mind back where it should be, listen to me and listen clearly you clueless fool. You wanted to save Oyaji's honour, yoi. In no way have you darkened the family, quite the opposite. Family is sacred, and you proved it less than a year ago when you placed yourself between your otouto and Akainu. Now, get up, ass-hole, you're attraction everyone's attention and I would rather not have my Ichibantai Taisho and fuku-sensho humiliate himself in front of kids, yoi.||_"

Ace got back up and cought his blade.

He scowled when Marco ruffled his hair with a large smile.

"I'm happy to see you, Ace." smiled Marco clearly delighted.

"Same, Nii-san. We have a lot to talk about."

Marco nodded and Ace bowed to Dumbledore, excusing himself for the scene and went to sit between the twins at the Gryffindor's table.

Everyone stared as he took his food like nothing had happened, while Marco went to sit to his designated seat, beside Snape. Ace was grabbing food without a car in the world, his weapon between his legs and against his shoulder not disturbing him the slightest. Slowly the discussions started once again, and many noticed that Moody's magic eye did not leave the blond guest who was in constant discussion with different people at the table, never losing his polite smile.

"Ace..." called Hermione.

Ace pulled his nose out of his plate to look at her and her knowing smile.

"Uruse na..." he growled, blushing from her thoughts.

Hermione smiled widened a little before she went back to her own meal, seemingly happy for an unknown reason.

"Ace, truthfully..."

"... this is starting to make many surprises..."

"... who is this man, exactly.."

"... and for Merlin's left buttcheek, what did you talk about?"!"

Fred was looking at George, surprise to see him swear like that, before putting his full attention back on his friend.

The twin's indignation only made Ace shrug.

"Sore wa Marco-nii-san."

"..."

The silence that followed was talking for itself.

"Big brother via adoption, kinda." sighted Ace.

That was the truth, though largely stretched. He was not going to tell them about their relation. Marco was almost forty and Ace, physically, fifteen... There was enough to create a scandal...

He ignored the other conversations and the many many questions, not wanting to say more than that.

He quickly left the table, sending a look to Marco, and went up one of the towers.

The Requirement Room would be busy for much of the night, and probably not in a _platonic_ way... it almost made Ace blush again.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, hearing someone call him and run after him. He half turned and saw Potter. The temptation to just ignore him and continue on his way was really strong, but Harry was already holding him by his shirt while taking his breath back.

"I... I'm really sorry for the other day... I didn't want to hurt you... I should have listened to Hermione, but it was so disturbing... I am really, deeply, sorry..." apologized Harry giving back the hunting knife and the coral.

Ace took the whole, put the sea element in his pocket and attached his knife back on his belt.

"Never talk to me about it again."

"I swear." assured Harry. Can I come back to your class?"

"If you're that much of a masochist... Ja ne..."

Ace walked away.

'

'

'

"Where are you going like that?"

The black panther froze in his – apparently not- discrete exit of the Common Room. Cursing Hermione.

Using Haki to make sure everyone else was sleeping, Ace took back his humane shape and stood up for his entire meter eighty-five of young adult.

"I think that it is quite obvious, Hermione." he answered.

"What time do you think you'll be back?"

"Would you happen to be my mother, Granger Hermione?"

The witch bit back a laugh and shook her head.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was going to be ok for you. You seemed..."

"Hermione. The last time that we saw each other, it was on the battlefield and I had a hole in my chest. And it was entirely my fault that we were there. Obviously wer're going to have to talk, but I am positive it will be ok... After all, if it wasn't the case I wouldn't have been promoted First Commander and Vice Captain."

"Congratulation on you promotion. You'll tell me the story?"

"Why don't you ask Marco to tell you about the mad dog that thought he wanted to take the head of the Ocean Lord, and that his captain was stubbornly wanting in his crew?"

Hermione looked at him skeptically.

"I was the mad dog..."

On those words, Ace morphed back to his feline self and slipped out of the tower.

A beautiful phoenix with fiery wings was waiting for him. The night would be eventful, be it discussion or other activities.

'

'

'

Ace stayed still, looking at the ceiling of the cabin, his breathing calming slowly after the rather fiery reunion with his lover.

"What are you thinking about, yoi?" whispered Marco, caressing his lover's arm.

"I don't understand how I can be forgiven so easily for everything that happened..." answered Ace.

"We fought for you at Marine Ford. Not forgiving you would be to ignore what we know AND how we feel... to spit on the death of our brothers and sisters, yoi. On Oyaji's death. Haruta would not leave me alone for a single second after she catched me on the edge of killing myself. We love you too much not to want you back, yoi. We were happy, overjoyed to get your letter that you were alive. Therefore, do not think for a single moment that we would let you go."

Ace turned over on the bed, to shelter himself in Marco's arms, crying. He cried for Marine Ford and the deaths.

"Thank you... Thank you for coming to my rescue..." sobbed the young man.

"It's normal, yoi. We care about you, Ace. I love you."

"So do I..."

Ace stayed in his lover's arms, crying for everything he had lost. When he finally calmed down, he stayed in the crook of the blond's neck and spoke. Freeing himself. He spoke of the fight against Teach, his days in Impel Down and how he felt at Marine Ford.

"It's in the past Ace... Soon you will be home, yoi." Ace reassured him in the hope of consoling him.

That made Ace think about something. He straightened up and wiped his tears to ask the phoenix, seriously:

"Marco... Can I ask you something with little hope?"

"You can always ask."

"Could you find as much of the reck of Moby Dick as possible?"

"What do you want to do?"

"_Witchcraft._"


	23. The small fights

**Chapter 23: ****The small fights**

'

This story is written by **Zialema** (original in French). English translation by 3A07.

I have the author's permission.

'

'

Harry woke at dawn on Saturday morning only to see Ace's empty bed.

Giving up on sleep, he got dressed and decided to go find Portgas. He found him in the park, completely awake, with a still yawning Hermione.

"Heya, Potter" welcomed Ace, laying on the grass and watching the Astronomy Tower while mechanically toying with his rejuvenating runes.

"Morning Portgas, Morning Hermione. What are you doing?"

"Were are waiting for the Lord of the Sky to deign show himself. Sit down, it's a show you won't want to miss."

Harry sat down. Soon after, a silhouette was on the top of the Tower.

"That's the Fushisho, right?"

"Fushisho means Phoenix, and it's more of a surname. Call him Marco-san, and it will do. And yes, that's him. He has a habit of flying at dawn. Well, he is kinda late for his usual schedule but he had to find to highest part of the castle first. Konnichiwa, Tsuki no Hime."

"Konnichiwa, Taisho. Congratulation on your promotion" said the young Ravenclaw before setting down on the grass.

Ace had a small laugh which was cut of by Harry's horror filled shout when Marco threw himself from the Astronomy Tower, his arms crossed.

"Shhh, look." said Ace.

Marco burst on fire in his fall. A beautiful almost sparkling turquoise blue, with touches of gold. The flames spread and quickly formed a giant fire bird. In one strong wing gust it propelled toward the sky.

"Wow... Animagus?" inquired Harry completely completely mesmerized byt the elegance and finesse of the flight.

"Nah, better than that. _Zoan_..." answered Ace with deep emotion.

"He bears his name well, Lord of the Sky." commented Luna following the aerial acrobatics of the bird.

"It reminds me of a certain someone's Patronus." maliciously smile Hermione.

Ace tilted his hat on his head, leaving the two girls softly laughing. Harry frowned, but preferred not to push it. After all, he had just reconciled with Portgas, he wasn't going to ruint it again only for curiosity purposes.

The bird ended up noticing that he had a public and descended on them to take back his human shape a mere two meters from the ground. A few bluish flames dragged on on his body while he buttoned up his shirt, judging it wiser not to be shirtless in front of teenagers... they still had plenty of time to see the vast tattoo on his chest and his steel muscles before he closed his shirt. Despite his nonchalant attitude, the man was quite good at hiding his game. Harry noticed that, just like Ace, he did not wear wizard clothes but a more... muggle fashion. Shirt, capris with spartan like shoes, ankle fringe bracelets and a turquoise fabric belt knocked at his waist, decorated with a golden chain and a few jewels.

"I thought normal kids would still be in bed at this time, yoi." commented Marco walking toward them, a thumb in his belt. "Good morning to you all."

"You plan on slashing someone's throat?" asked Ace getting up.

He nodded toward the thumb in the belt, knowing that there was a weapon there.

"Yours, maybe, for getting that scar that looks like Akagami." replied Marco putting his hands back in his pockets.

"Shanks has three in a diagonal. I have one more, and they are straight. And I am nowhere near a sake fanatical like him. Has he learn what sobriety was since last time?"

"Garp will weak Ivankov's clothes before that happens, yoi."

He stared at Ace was laughing out loud and rolling on the ground from the mental image alone.

"I knew you had to be crazy after having to suffer the old man throughout your childhood." sighted Marco, falsely desperate.

"Something to share, Ace?" asked Hermione.

Ace fought a few seconds to get his breathing back in control, and sat back down.

"You... you remember what my boggart looked like?"

"When you control your fear, or the other one?" queried Harry.

"When I control it."

Harry and Hermione immediately remembered the mastodon and his clothes that were rather... peculiar? Once the _Riddikulus_ was cast.

"That's the mental image Marco just evoked." smiled Ace.

He extended his arm and Marco pulled him to his feet, affectionately pushing his hat on his head.

"Marco, may I introduce to you some of my brightest students... Harry James Potter, Hermione Jeanne Granger and Luna Lovegood."

"Nice to meet you, young people." smiled Marco shaking their hands.

"Pleasure is ours, sensho-san." bowed Luna with a smile. "Portgas-taisho has spoken a lot about you and your family. He really misses you, all..."

"Luna!" protested Ace.

"Oups?" replied the young girl with a small smile.

Marco greeted Luna with a smile. A smile more meaningful than most words.

"Your animal form is truly magnificent. You could give classes to Quidditch players." complimented Hermione.

"Hey!" protested Harry.

Marco burst out laughing.

"Thank you for you compliment, young woman. As for my aerial prowess, I have wings since I was thirty, I had plenty of time to use them, yoi. I got the title of Lord of the Sky fighting teeth and nail."

"I will make no comments." coughed Ace.

"Your last flight was quite a while ago... want to break the record, yoi?"

"I doubt that there is anyone who could fish me out of the lake... except maybe the giant squid... but I may have tried to grill him the other day, was kinda hungry, so I doubt that he would help me out."

"Why am I not surprised..."

Harry could only admire the complicity between the two pirates. Even knowing Hermione and Ron since their first year, his relation was nowhere near theirs. It was more... profound.

"Ace... that story about a mad dog trying to take the Ocean Lord's head, is it to share in only a reduced circle, or for all those who want to hear it?" asked Hermione.

"Oh misery..." sneered Marco. "You cost us so much in repairs during that time yoi."

"Not that much..." contested Ace.

"Izou still has the bill of _every_ door that had to be changed and _every wall_ that had to be repaired because _mister_ thought he could overthrow Oyaji."

"I would have succeeded if not for your blond pineapple head made me want to join the family!"

Ace's pouting face was hilarious.

"And that's not including all the fires that had to be put off and damaged basically every place you threw a tantrum."

"This story seems quite interesting." commented Harry.

"I wonder if it is on par with the one on how Ace knows how to dance..." Luna wondered out loud.

"Luna... I hope you already prepared your will..." patiently said Ace.

Marco hit him on the head.

"If you don't want to renew your last flying experience, you should not kill any of your students." said Marco.

"Hum, what does a flight usually involve?" asked Harry.

"I grasp him with my talons and throw him in the closest water collection."

"Nah, all good... I'll skip my turn." assured Ace.

'

'

'

At the Gryffindors table, everyone was hitting themselves for not getting up earlier and be able to witness what Harry was describing. Many of the seventh year girls had already a crush on Marco and could only image that his animal shape had to be beautiful.

"Actually... It's Portgas' Patronus, but in bluer and more impressive." resumed Harry.

Ace spit out his fruit juice right in Neville's face.

"Hontoni sumimasen, Neville!"

"Don't worry, Ace." assured Neville whipping his face with his napkin.

"Ace you _must _show us your Patronus!" demanded Fred.

"Yada."

"Ace..."

"Ya-da". The original is way better."

"So, when is the demonstration?" inquired Hermione.

"Tonight. But I will be absent for the day..."

"Why?" asked Ron.

"I got promoted, he wants to make sure I don't rest on my laurels. Tonight there won't be wands, nor blades. Only flames and Haki."

"Do you want us to keep your weapons?"

"No the nodachi. The _Shodai Kitetsu_ is a cursed blade. I would prefer to avoid something happening to you."

"Why do you think nothing is going to happen to you?" inquired Harry.

"I did a simple test which could have cost me my arm. No training for you today, Potter."

Ace finished his breakfast and got up. One look to Marco who nodded back and he whistled the Ravenclaws.

Luna got up seeing Ace's gesture for her attention. They left the Great Hall, soon enough Marco and Severus followed, but the Potion Master did leave the phoenix on route.

'

'

'

Marco soon arrived to the Requirement Room.

If last night, it allowed them to find their cabin and the some landmarks for their intimate night, today it showed one of the lawless zones of Shabaody. Marco closed the door which, once in the room, seemed to be part of some ruins, to see the small Ravenclaw sat in a corner of the room and Ace without his bracelets stretching.

"Luna is learning Bunsoshoku. And she is learning really quickly." explained Ace. "She is also extremely gifted in guessing many things."

Luna had a corner smile.

"We will see, yoi. First I'll what my new right arm is up to and then I'll see what you're worst. Is that alright with you, oujou-chan?" suggested Marco.

"With pleasure. I always wanted to see Ace fight at full power."

Ace put a mitten over the case that contained his magic wanted.

"This way, both my hands are free since I don't need to hold it." explained Ace.

A small flick of his wrist and the wand slipped under the mitten and found itself stuck on the back of his middle finger, with about 3 cm over.

"Hajimemasho?"

Marco drew the nodachi Ace had sent his way while the later was pulling his hunting knife.

Luna moved slightly, and it was like the starting signal. The two threw themselves at each other, in a burst of blue and orange fire. While Marco was throwing his feathers like deadly projectiles that Ace dodged, Hiken was using fire in his hand, while throwing spells with his other one.

When the Phoenix ended up suspended in the air by his ankle, without been able to free himself, it left an exhausted Ace, but a smiling one.

"Very well, well you caught me this one, yoi. Alright, let me down, you won."

Ace was delighted to oblige.

"You already mastered silent casting?" wondered an astonished Luna after clapping loudly for the fight.

"Snape-sensei is a tough teacher." answered Ace.

Marco ran a hand through his hair, trying to get his breathing under control again after the intense fight, than gestured for Luna to join them.

"Let's see what you're worth. If you are that good with Bunsoshoku, you will be able to hurt me."

"Otherwise what, Sensho-sen?"

"I regenerate. Come on, show me what you got, yoi."

Luna got up, a similar mitten as Ace, to have his wand ready to use, and a bo in her hand.

'

'

'

The thing was so exceptional that the Magic Ministry Minister, the head of Magical Justice Department and a few aurors came to see the demonstration which was going to happen after dinner, on the Quidditch field.

Before starting to prepare for the fight, Ace went to a student and whispered something to her, which she answered with a head nod. The young man then gave her a large brown envelope, still whispering in a low serious tone, and the student nodded again, and exchanged a look with the head of the Justice Department.

"||You're running after girls now? Should I worry, yoi?||" teased a stretching Marco while Ace was removing his weapons and wand to Luna.

"||As if..||" retorted the pirate.

He then went to stand in front of Marco, rolled his head a few times, then his shoulders, before the two opponents bowed to each other.

"If two volunteers can blindfold us, yoi. We will answer any questions after the demonstration." said Marco.

There were a few murmurs between the guests about the strange demand, while those who studied Haki had an idea where it was going.

Two aurors, a dark skinned man and a young woman with yellow canary hair which stood straight up came to put the blindfolds on, before professor Flitwick activated a protecting spell around the field.

Marco and Ace bowed again and stood ready.

For a short time they turned around each other, before Ace attacked.

"_Shinka Shiranui!_"

Fire spears flew toward Marco who easily dodged them before charging Ace. He tried to hit his head him with a blackened Haki covered feet, except Hiken was no there anymore. Reemerging behind Marco in a whirlwind of flames, he fired fire balls which were all dodged once again. Twisting on himself, Marco made swept his feet and some kind of rainbow flew toward Ace, who threw himself on the ground. The large cut in the ground more than justified that.

Marco threw his arm toward his opponent, similarly as throwing a dart, a bunch of small blue fireball were thrown Ace who ran in between to get to Marco, hitting his face with a fire kick. The blond protected his face with his arms, which covered themselves in blue. In a twist, he kicked toward Ace who dodged, before the younger man had to back away to avoid dangerously sharp talons.

Every spectator stayed there, watching the fight with open mouths, except Luna, which simply smiled.

The fight was so elegant, and yet, their eyes were blinded. They knew where the other one was. Their strange powers made them run in the air, disappear and reappear from one end of the pitch to the other, without Apparating. Their kicks made deep trenches in the ground which erupted up the shield that protected the assemble. And they seemed to dance between the hits of their opponent. Many did not know how Ace managed to get that much fire, and one could only wonder what Marco was, to change with such ease any part of his body into an animal...

And despite all this, they still managed to talk and laugh together WHILE fighting!

Ace suddenly disappear and Marco turned around.

"K'ssou... Portgas..."

"Enkai..."

Ace was at the other end of the field, in a sea of flames that made the students scream out of fear and surprise.

"Hibashira!"

Marco took the hit straight, making the public howl.

Click.

A black talon was at Ace's neck.

Marco just reappeared, half hidden in blue flames, and his feet ready to cut the throat of the young man.

"||_You could have avoided the hit.||_" chastised the Phoenix.

"||_Let me keep a few mysteries on my abilities!||_" protested Ace.

Marco removed his talon and the two fighters bowed, before removing their blindfolds.

Thunderous applause welcomed them, and Dumbledore's malicious smile.

Hermione clapped as well, she had some hope. Hope that Harry might survive, thanks to Ace and his power.

"Is it safe to let a teen fight?" asked Karkaroff.

Ace and Marco looked at each other... and it was Hiken that broke, falling on his knees from laghter.

"This is not our first time, yoi." Answered Marco, a smile at the corner of his lips. "We know very well both our talents, and those of each other, yoi."

"Marco helped me to develop one of my techniques, one which I did not use tonight." announced Ace getting back up.

"Such as?"

Flitwick was thinking that he should not have removed the shield yet, watching the huge fireball back in Ace's hand, slowly growing.

"Dai Enkai... should we test it?"

"Portgas." Marco called to order, while Karkaroff took a step back.

"Pffff, killjoy."

"That guy is actually able to control Ace?" whispered George, amazed.

"That's crazy..." Fred answered back.

"I am quite intrigued by the magic you displayed tonight." announced the chief of the Justice Department. "Please forgive me, I never introduced myself, I am Amelia Bones."

"Yoroshiku!" happily answered Ace.

The girl with the sparky yellow hair, well... bright pink right now, found it funny.

"Bones-san, in our... community, we are in the habit of developing a peculiar magic, quite powerful, but random, depending on the individuals..."

Ace watched with some kind of pride the story to sleep standing up that Marco was trying to pull out of his ass to explain the akuma no mi.

"... in most cases, the bodies, even the mind, changes with times, depending on the gift. Between us, we have categories, yoi. Zoan for those which are close to your animagus, Logia for those that can control an element, and Paramecia for the other ones. It happens that some of the Zoan lose themselves, their humanity, and be overpowered by the animal instinct. The destructive logias can damage or hurt people involuntarily from their emotions, yoi."

"How can we get powers like that! It's so insane!" roared George almost squashing his twin to get in the limited space.

"Work, George. A lot of work, more than you ever did for the Kenbunshoku." answered Ace, sticking out his tongue. We start when we are really young and may get to mastery around ten or twelve year old.

Wow, they really felt proud of themselves to get that story on the fly... they almost felt like pirates.

Luna seem amused, just like Hermione who raised her hand.

"No need to pull your hand up, Hermione. What do you want to know?"

"Sometimes you used similar techniques, do they have a noun?"

Ace smiled while tapping Marco's arm.

"You started with the Rankyaku, so you get to explain, Marco!"

"It's what we call Rokushiki. In it, there are many techniques, including _Soru_, fast movement."

Marco kicked Ace's butt, who dodged by disappearing and reappearing at the other end of the zone, beside Snape who seemed amused and interested by by the pirates' explanation.

"The _Geppou_..."

Ace kicked a few times, climbing in the sky before sending a _Rankyaku_ back toward Marco's head.

"_Rankyaki!" _completed Ace.

"Tekkai" ended Marco taking the hit.

Ace landed on the ground, firing fireballs toward the Phoenix who skillfully dodge as easily as a leaf in the wind.

"_Kami-e_... and to end... the _Shigan_, which I will not demonstrate, yoi."

"Oh, why?" complaine someone.

Ace had came closer to Marco and promptly jumped on him, knocking him down to the grass to stick his finger right between his eyes, getting a cry from everyone since it was clearly visible that the bone was breached.

"For this very reason. Thanks Ace, I would like to get back up."

Ace got up, Marco's wound ignited before he followed.

"For those who are familiar with muggle weapons, imagine the impact of a bullet. No danger for the Giant Chicken, the first who finds how to kill him is not yet born."

"Genkotsu... Sengoku... Akainu... Marshall..." cited Marco marrying himself.

"Stop, it's enough, wakkata."

"What are you, to be immune to this kind of injury?" asked the Minister of Magic, extremely pale and twisting his hat in his hands.

"My nickname is Phoenix for a good reason, other than it's almost impossible to kill me."

Marco ignited, and the flames spread.

People finally realized that it was a bird with it's wings spread open. Ace reach his arm out and the beautiful create landed on it, keeping it's wings half open. Each feather was aflame with turquoise of gold. A long golden tail reached the ground. A deep mark of round glasses. On his/its chest, the feathers were darker, shaping like a cross with a superposed crescent moon.

More than one student, and adult, shivered in front of the creature's gaze who was morphing back to his human shape. Like it was able to see deep within your soul. His gaze was piercing and so sad, so old...

"In opposition to Animagus, Zoans keep their voice. Also, usual Zoan's are able to take three shapes... Human, animal and hybrid."

"My mastery is more complete than most, being the only one in our community to be able to do partial transformations, yoi." explained the bird.

He jumped from Ace's arm to take back his human shape, keeping his wings for a little longer.

They spend two more hours answering various questions before everyone went to bed.

"Ne, Marco..."

Marco turned away from McGonagall, who was especially interested by his gift, to look at Ace who offered a wide smile and nodded toward the Forbidden Forest.

"Baka."

Ace turned around to join the other Gryffindors, a smile on his lips. If Marco was calling him an idiot, then he had already won.

In Gryffindor's Tower, Ace was assailed by the strangest of questions about his power and the ones of his colleague.

"Why didn't you ask them back there?" asked Ace.

"In front of the whole school?! You're not right in the head!" said Alicia Spinnet. "No, honestly, how do you have such a power? You _control_ fire!"

Ace shook his head.

"No, I _am_ fire. Want to stab me to check? If you don't want to, I would like to go to bed. In opposition to you, I just fought someone, I am tired, and I would like to avoid any further narcolepsy attack."

"I understand your _Hiken_ nickname now." commented Harry not far away.

"Oh, but you don't potter. Not until you see my Hiken, you can't understand. I did not use it tonight, because, if the Hibashira was focused on the ground, Hiken would have hit Sensei's shield, and I wasn't keen on testing it's strength. On this, can I go now?"

And without waiting for an answer, Ace went to bed.


End file.
